


A Drake is a Dragon

by PunandOnly



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: F/F, M/M, More characters to come, Multi, Other, and maybe some others like the supers or wonders or justice league, i am really bad with tagging, if i keep up with this most characters in the bat verse will come in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-05-01 21:36:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 52,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5221778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunandOnly/pseuds/PunandOnly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim never became Robin. His family has a long legacy of managing the lines between this world and the other. Around the time of Jason's death instead of convincing Batman he needs a Robin, Tim is instead training with his parents to become the next of his line to protect this world and the next and manage magic. It follows along most of the same things, Jason comes back as Red Hood, Damian becomes Robin and comes to the family at the same age but he doesn't have to fight the previous Robin for the title. Bruce still goes missing in time and Dick becomes batman for a little. Tim takes over Drake Industries and becomes known to the world as the smart and attractive young CEO, while at night he handles witches and vampires and apocalypses brought by demons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

So yeah the whole super hero demon hunter witch thing wasn't nearly as cool it was made out to be, whatever 'it' exactly was. In retrospect maybe challenging a centuries old warlock over territory in upper Gotham wasn't the smartest idea Tim had ever come up with. Not by a long shot. 

"I'm coming for you little boy!" Said warlock screeched from seven or so meters behind Tim. Ah come on for fucks sake Tim stopped looking like a little boy two years ago when he hit fifteen, he may be short and small but at least he doesn't look like an eleven year old anymore. Most of the time. 

Quickening his already sprint Tim ducks a bar covered in slime. God he hates the sewers, why do so many of the things he does business with spend most of their free time in some form of a sewer at one time or another? 

If the blue prints he got of this sewer are correct then there's a fork in the path up ahead, left a dead end and right continuing to a ladder to the surface. 

Darting right Tim chances a look behind him and immediately regrets it. The warlock's changed shape and is now something mirroring one of Scarecrows creations brought to life. Not a sight you'd want to see chasing after you. Thank God Tim's fast. 

Clamoring up the ladder Tim hisses and his eyes widen when he sees the manhole cover is on and not off like he had put it two hours earlier. A clawed hand grips his left leg and yanks Tim with a more than human strength. Tim cries out as his chin knocks one of the ladder rungs. 

"I've got you now little boy." The warlock licks a split tongue across scaly lips protruding from his misshapen face like a snout. Crouching the warlock begins to creep closer rear end raised slightly like a cat hunting. 

A gunshot fires then another as the warlock is hit twice and falters stunned looking at blood blossoming the color of lilacs from his chest. 

"Don't know if anyone told you this but hunting kids is illegal." A slightly robotic voice calls from a figure walking out of the shadows, light glinting off his red helmet. Tim sighs in frustration and readjusts his mask hoping the charm Pru put on it will hold and it doesn't fall off. Great now one of the bats is involved. Just lovely.

The warlock hisses as the wound begins closing up already. "Don't know if anyone ever told you this, but it's rude to shoot someone in their own home."

It sounds like Red Hood snorts as he replies "Oh I plan on shooting you a couple more times."

Focusing on the new target the warlock begins inching towards Red Hood snarling. Tim starts edging away trying to figure a way out of the tunnel. Hood and the warlock are blocking the only other exit besides the closed manhole, and there's no way Tim's getting that open anytime soon from down here. 

The warlock pounces with a shout and Red Hood begins shooting each shot hitting as he falls and rolls the warlock over him. The warlock grins as his wounds finish healing already. Pouncing again the warlock opens the exit to Tim and he darts out. Shots ring behind him. When he hears a thud and crack he turns to see the warlock looking triumphant over a bleeding Red Hood.

Well he already did a stupid thing earlier why not do it again. Make a holiday of it.

"Hey warlock!" Tim cups his mouth and yells. "Come and get me you ugly lousy spell caster!" 

Remembering his previous prey the warlock roars charging forward. Tim runs again. This time when he reaches the fork in the path he goes left instead of forward. The warlock follows. 

"You stupid little boy." The warlock is almost panting, out of breath from his fight with the Hood. "How could you possibly expect to get out of this?" 

Tim grins throwing his bag down at the warlocks feet even as he jumps forward into a roll over the warlock who's focused on Tim's bag more than he is Tim. Just like Tim meant. Throwing the glass beads he had retrieved from his bag's pockets he turns and runs back towards Red Hood. 

The warlock roars in indignation. Tim's glad he decided to spend a month perfecting his recipe for the trap he just stuck the warlock in. He's even gladder still his mother taught it to him when he was twelve. 

"Come on hurry, it should hold him for two hours at least if he's fighting it but it pays to be careful." Tim grabs one of Red Hood's arms dragging him up, and holy shit is this guy huge. Like not just tall as heck but solid muscle broad shoulder dorito chip huge. And he's also just grabbed Tim by his throat and is shoving him against a wall. That's what you get for being a dumbass he thinks to himself. 

"You're not a little boy and that's not human now tell me what the hell you're doing down here kid." 

Tim gasps for air clawing at the hand holding his throat and he really shouldn't be thinking this but okay it's kind of impressive that the guy is holding him up like two, three inches off the ground at least with one hand. 

On the other hand should Tim just hit one of the guys nerves and knock him out like he was taught or should he try to talk to him? If he knocks him out he'll be stuck down here. On the other hand he really doesn't need Red Hood learning more about him or what he does. 

Red Hood loosens his grip just enough for Tim to get a slight gulp of air. "I said, what the hell are you doing down here kid?"

This fucking asshole oh my god. Kid really kid? Who the hell calls anyone kid besides old men with their grandchildren or gritty action heroes in movies? Tim decides that to hell with it Red Hood's an asshole, he'd rather haul his dead weight to the surface then explain anything or talk his way out of it. Getting around the suit may be a problem though.

Tim opens his mouth like he's about to talk when he brings an arm in and hits Hood's chest with his palm. Hard. Not giving Hood enough time to react Tim swings a leg around hooking it around Hood's outstretched arm. To hell with anyone who says flexibility and yoga exercises do nothing. Tim swings around the Hood who is by now reacting and trying to grab him but hey Tim is a lot smaller than the Hood and by the time he's got a hold on him Tim has his legs wrapped around his waist and is squeezing hard. Two quick strikes to nerves in the shoulders and one to the inside of his thigh and the Red Hood is counting sheep. 

Tim slumps as the entirety of Red Hood's weight falls on him. It's a long trudge back up to the other entrance that Tim originally entered in before he managed to piss off the warlock. When they pass the fork Tim can hear the warlock screaming threats. 

Once Tim's reached the surface he finds a fire escape, climbs it with all two hundred some pounds of vigilante on him and leaves Red Hood on the roof. He sees the bats on roofs all the time, someone should find him soon. 

Tim doesn't stick around. The last time someone had knocked a bat out it took less than five minutes for the others to get there. Tim surmised something in their suit measured their vitals and called the others if they fell asleep or were forced to sleep. 

Once a reasonable distance away Tim slumps against an alley wall exhausted. Deciding that making the trip back to Drake manor would take too long Tim begins the walk to one of his safe houses. On the bright side he got what he came for. 

Swinging the back pack off his shoulders he opens it and pulls out what looks like a large glowing opal. What a semi low level warlock was doing with a galaxy stone was unknown to Tim but it probably wasn't good. It looked like the warlock was planning something with all the talk he was producing in the underground. 

Before falling into his apartment's bed and sailing off to sleep Tim had the distinct impression that major things were coming in the next few months, whether good or bad he'd find out.


	2. Galas and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steph offers for Tim to take her to a gala and meet the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels really long and it's mostly world building so sorry guys. Not much real action till the next chapter.

"What if, I offered you the chance to take me to Wayne Enterprise's Gala?" Steph held her 'if' making it long and drawn out. Tim sighs and jots down notes on a pad.

"Steph you know I have cases to catch up on and," 

"Tim," Stephanie cuts him off and he can sense a rant about his workload coming. "You can't bury yourself in papers and ignore everything else in the world. You're overworking yourself, a break won't hurt. Not to mention it would be good for Drake Industries public image if you were making nice with Bruce Wayne at one of his charity events."

Tim's voice lowers as if trying to keep someone from over hearing even though he's alone in the apartment. "I ran into Red Hood last night." 

He can hear Stephanie move and readjust her position. 

"I know he doesn't come to these things like at all unless he's got something in mind but I really don't want to chance anything, not so soon after running into him."

"Chance what? Jason or Bruce or someone recognizing you? Even though you were wearing not only your uniform but one that you had purposefully spelled to ensure no one would recognize you out of it? Spelled need I add, by a literal reincarnation of Merlin? I think you'll be fine. And I've wanted for you guys to actually know each other or at least meet ever since we first became friends. I'm getting tired of not being able to tell them about you or what's going on in Gotham whenever there's magic involved and you're working on it."

She did have a point about the mask and his uniform. And she had been extremely patient with keeping his 'job' a secret from her 'co-workers."

"And how well do you think Mr. 'It's just unexplained science, not magic' will react to me?" Tim asked easing his phone between his shoulder and ear, freeing his hands for typing. 

"He'll adapt, he's good at that. At least introduce yourself to them as a civilian. I really want you and Cass to meet, I really like her and I don't like the fact my best friends don't know about each other." 

At this point Tim knows it's a losing battle and decides to cut his losses. "Okay I'll go. Pick you up around 8:30. Bye." 

"Bye!" Steph hangs up and Tim puts his phone back on his desk before returning to his laptop. 

The fact that the warlock from last night had a galaxy stone struck a wary note in Tim. He'd been up working on the since seven that morning when he finally decided he just wasn't going to get that much sleep. It's now one and it feels like he has even less info about how the warlock got the stone and what he was going to use it for than before Tim had started. 

Maybe if he researched the warlock rather than any traces of the stone's prior transfers? Tim opens his file on the warlock and starts re-reading it. 

Marco Finch, born 1965, low level warlock, works on black market doing just about anything for enough money. He's smart enough for his criminal record not to carry over into the 'normal' world as Tim called it, though aside from his own there weren't really any police forces in the magic world either. Angels sure, but they hadn't been seen actually fighting evil and stuff since the 1800's. 

The rest of the day is spent in front of his laptop scanning files for info and writing down notes. Once it's five Tim closes his laptop and stands eliciting far more cracks and pops than there probably should be. 

He tucks the laptop to his chest and grabs the keys to his car with the other hand, striding towards the door out of his apartment. He locks it behind him and begins to walk. It looks as if the elevator is working today but does he really want to chance it? Deciding it's better than walking down the ten or some floors Tim enters and clutches the rail the entire ride down. 

He hums as he walks towards his car, a blue Fiat he uses for work not related to Drake Industries nor his other work. 

The drive to Drake Manor takes thirty minutes that pass semi-quickly. He rolls up to the front gates and presses something similar to a garage opener which opens them. The drive way is somewhat long, reflecting money and success, not quite as long as the Wayne's next door but that house had been there almost as long as Gotham. How funny that he avoids Batman on the daily and yet he lives right next to him. 

The garage in the back of the house opens after Tim presses another button. The garage has ten cars, ranging from what looks like a junker he uses for missions to a silver Mercedes he uses only for events like the Gala. 

It's now almost five forty. He has two hours or so to get ready. Plenty of time for a shower and some food. Maybe a sandwich and chips. A soda too. 

Tim enters the main house from the door connecting to a servants hallway. He walks through it until he reaches the kitchen. Deciding that a shower first and then food sounds like a good plan Tim continues along passing through the large kitchen to an adjoining dining room and then a sitting room until he finally reaches the main foyer. 

He climbs the grand stair case and turns towards the left to his room. His parents room is to the right, normally you'd move into the masters bedroom when it's vacated but it didn't feel right to Tim , so he stayed in his childhood room even after his parent's deaths. 

The light turns on when he flicks the switch, illuminating a messy room with old cups, papers haphazard, and blankets thrown around and off the large bed. He continues on to his bathroom and turns the shower on to one of it's hottest settings. A habit he had picked up from Stephanie. 

The mirror starts fogging and Tim undresses curling his lip when he sees the bruises forming from his scuffle last night. Those would be a pain. Literally. 

His shower is warm and long and quite frankly he could have gone longer but his stomach is growling and he better get something to eat. He steps out and towels himself dry as opens his adjoining closet, one of the only other places besides Tim's files that is actually organized. After having to change in less than a minute on multiple occasions he had decided that maybe having outfits organized by where he'd wear them and what for would come in handy. 

He reaches into a drawer and puts on a pair of boxer briefs then walks to his suit section. He picks out a simple sleek black suit that he knows he looks great in. After deciding the suit Tim turns on puts on a white button up and a red silk tie. He puts those on then picks out a pair of socks and his shoes, simple black Oxfords. He slips them onto his feet and begins walking back down towards the kitchen. A sandwich is in order. 

First he picks up his phone from his desk and opens it scrolling through emails. Once he gets downstairs he makes a sandwich with chips and begins looking through his tumblr dashboard. 

Once he's done eating it's almost seven twenty so he gets on his way. The car purrs almost when Tim turns the key and he smiles to himself. The drive to Steph's apartment is a little longer than his drive home but he still gets there early. At least her elevator works more than it doesn't compared to the safe house he had slept in last night. 

Jazzy music plays in the elevator and Tim hums along. When the elevator dings at Steph's floor (The top floor of course. Sneaking out at night regularly without being seen is a lot easier when you have roof access) Tim moves to step out of the elevator but a large heavy body blocks his way. 

Tim doesn't manage to stop his face from ramming into whoever it is he's just bumped into. His nose thuds against the middle of their chest just below their collar bones. In the back of his head Tim notes with slight distaste that the he barely reaches the person's chin. 

He jerks back sharply opening his mouth to apologize but hands grip his shoulders firmly, steadying him. 

"Sorry," Tim begins giving a sheepish grin in apology. 

"No problem, just be careful where you're going." The person's voice doesn't quite rumble from them but Tim can feel the vibrations through their chest. Tim looks up at the speaker and inhales slightly.

Staring back are blue eyes tinted green, a straight nose and a good jawline. Tim recognizes him at once as Jason Todd, how could he not when he stalked him when Tim was a kid? 

"Uh," His voice is uncertain and TIm winces inside at his reaction. "Yeah, sorry again."

Jason nods and doesn't spare a second glance at Tim as he lets go and steps into the elevator Tim had just left. 

Tim turns away his eyes growing wide. He reaches her apartment six doors down and doesn't have to knock. She's holding it wide open with a grin big enough to split her face.  
"So meet anyone interesting on the way up?" 

Tim levels Steph with a look of annoyance paired with an uprised eyebrow.

Steph laughs and pulls Tim in, her fluffy purple cocktail dress bouncing with the movement. 

"Really Steph really? You just had to call in him?"

"I didn't plan for him to be here when you showed up, I didn't plan for him to be here at all. He just stopped by to drop some stuff off out of the blue. No prior planning on my part."

Tim sighs then looks down at Steph's feet and freezes. 

"What are those?"

Steph giggles and does a twirl. "My slippers."

Tim looks at Steph with horror. "It's not even Thanksgiving Steph, elf slippers already?"

"They're comfy, I bought you a pair to match for your Christmas gift."

"I'm Jewish." 

"Tim you haven't been to church to for like, ever."

Steph takes the overly bright slippers off and replaces them with sparkly black heels. "You ready?"

Tim nods and they walk back to the elevator. A debate about aliens and werewolves starting on the way. It continues well into the car ride to the gala. 

Once there Tim gives his keys over to the car attendant and both he and Steph give their invitations to the doorman. They step into the bright main entrance of the museum. The skeleton of a sperm whale, the gift of some long dead socialite, taking crowing glory from where it hangs. 

Gotham's elite surround them dressed in their best. A water offers them flutes of champagne. Both he and Steph decline too busy deciding the merits of a werewolf alien versus an alien werewolf. 

Not even a minute later a man Tim knows as Louise Crawford from the meetings he has with those who own stock in his company, marches over with his wife, intent on making conversation. 

Tim and Steph chit chat for some time before a woman walks up the steps of the stage and begins calling for their attention. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Wayne would like to give a speech, thank you for your attention. "

Bruce takes the stage, all eyes on him. Although at the moment he's probably more Brucie than Bruce. 

"Thank you all for being here, and thank you for supporting St. Major Children's hospital. We set a goal tonight and I believe one hundred percent that we will meet it. You have my full trust. Now, please enjoy the food, donate, and have a wonderful time!" Bruce leaves the stage. 

Tim excuses himself from their current company as Steph tugs him in Bruce's direction. When Steph and Tim finally find Bruce in the crowd Tim sees why there are so many people crowded around. Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain, and Damian Wayne are with Bruce. It's not everyday Bruce and the Wayne children are all in one area at a party. 

As if sensing Steph's approach Cass looks up drawing the others attention. All the Waynes except for Damian, who is scowling as usual, smile at her approach then look from her to Tim. A tingle of apprehension begins in his gut. 

Oh god he'll be meeting them all at once. 

"Bruce!" Steph calls and hugs him then Dick and finally Cass, lingering in the embrace. 

"Hey Steph, what's up?" Dick asks glancing at her then Tim, then her again. Tim knows Dick's real question, who is this boy you've brought with you and what is he doing?

"This is Tim, Tim Drake. The friend I've been telling you about."

Tim gives his best 'I feel completely at ease and am totally not aware of the fact you're a threat'smile and shakes their outstretched hands one by one. 

"You've told them about me?" Tim asks glancing at Steph who shrugs. 

"We've been friends for almost three years now, it'd be weirder if I hadn't said anything." 

Bruce turns to the other guests speaking. "If you'll excuse us, I believe Mr. Drake and I have some acquainting to do." 

"Oh count me in." Dick smiles easy. The entire family follows as Bruce leads them into one of the museums other exhibits, this one relating to butterflies. 

"So Tim," Bruce starts. "How'd you and Steph meet?"

Tim can't tell them the real way they met (when Tim was taking care of a demon obsessed with fires and Stephanie almost bashed his face in with a brick thinking he was Fire Fly) so he tells them they met at an event at school. No doubt Steph had already told Bruce that (They had agreed on using that as the story of how they met just for moments like this) but Batman liked to double check things. 

"Tell me, have you ever thought about you and Stephanie being more than friends?" 

Tim doesn't get the chance to tell him that they tried and it didn't work out before Dick speaks. 

"Jeez Bruce, give the kid a break."  
Bruce nods smiling and they spend some time talking about mutual hobbies. It goes well until a man towards the end of middle aged with slightly graying hair and a mustache walks in, whispering in Bruce's ear. 

"Ah thank you Alfred. I'm sorry Tim but it appears that Damian and I are needed else where. It was a pleasure meeting you."  
Damian looks happy at the chance to leave, that and the fact it's Batman and Robin who are needed rather than Bruce and Damian Wayne.  
Out of the corner of his eye Tim sees the other three remaining vigilantes exchange looks. For a while the conversation goes smoothly until Cass gets a text and looks at Dick, who seems to understand what she's saying even with no words. 

"Sorry but Cass and I need to go help Bruce. Nice meeting you Tim."

They too leave and Tim now is beginning to think it must be serious for the entire family to be called out. Well almost entire. 

"You go ahead Steph."

She looks at him almost questioning. "You sure Tim? I don't want to leave you here alone."

"Nah I'm fine, besides you look ready to burst. Go kick some ass."

"Thanks Tim! Text you later!" She rushes off out of the museum and Tim doesn't even question where she plans on going with no car. 

Now would be the perfect time to sneak off and finish that case. It's not even eleven yet. Perfect.

The attendant gives Tim the keys to his car after bringing it up. Tim smiles to himself as he begins to drive off and turns the radio up. 

"It appears the Batman and his colleagues are fighting some kind of monster in downtown Gotham, a giant bat or something of the sort, no, now were getting reports of several creatures. Switching to Nancy Lau who is live at the scene."

Tim frowns at the radio and tenses listening. 

"Hello Debrah. Batman and the other vigilantes are currently fighting against what appear to be several creatures straight out of a nightmare. It appears th- Shit Tommy!" The reporter cuts off mid sentence then begins screaming and a thud is heard along with growling. 

"That was Nancy Lau live." Debrah switches back sounding shaken. 

His tires screech against pavement as Tim swerves towards another safe house downtown where he has the supplies he needs for what's currently going on. The garage opens sensing the electronics in his car and once he's parked the floor begins to lower into a different underground room. It's like a mini bat cave with anything he needs ranging from weapons, computers, to modern weapons, two thousand year old swords, and spells waiting to be cast. 

Once the movement stops Tim steps out and beings preparing his things rapidly. A fold-able staff coated in a mercury alloy. For some reason magic couldn't affect mercury, which came in handy when your enemy can turn your weapon into a pig. And mercury hurt like hell, similar to silver and iron with certain creatures. 

Tim loads up on pre-cast spells waiting to be thrown along with some healing supplies and an anti-fear charm or seven. For who he was going up against he'd need all the anti-fear charms in the world. 

One final look around to ensure he had everything he needed and Tim was off on a motorcycle left from his previous use along with a simple black helmet. As he drives swerving through traffic Tim prepares himself for a long hard night.

They always are when Scarecrow is involved.


	3. Monsters and Avoidable Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fuck Scarecrow

Tim speeds down the highway weaving in and out of traffic. Once he hits midway already the traffic in his direction is thinning down to nothing, while those going the opposite increases. 

When he's about five minutes from the chemical plant (it's always a chemical plant, why does Gotham even have so many chemical plants?) he slows and starts scanning the area. He needs to hurry and get there but it pays to be careful when dealing with the big boy's of Gotham's crime scene. The last time he rushed into a situation similar to this a hellhound almost mauled him.  
No one is out on the street. Tim shivers at the sensation of being alone on the dark bridge leading to the factory.

Soon he hears howling and the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Time to get started.

He parks the bike and hides it in some bushes. It'll do for now. Tim pulls up a blueprint of the factory on his watch, looks them over and decides how to enter the building, then begins creeping towards the windows on the building's east side. 

Tim climbs until he's reached the roof. There are already broken skylights, from vigilantes or from Scarecrow Tim doesn't know. Down below there's nothing, they must be fighting in a different part of the factory. He ties a section of his zipline on a steady segment of the roof. Once the rope is secure Tim lets himself down quickly and looks around the room once his feet have touched the floor. He decides to go through down the hallway deeper into the factory.

As he's walking a window to his right shatters and he barely has time to duck before a body goes sailing overhead in a flash of black and blue. An animal jumps out of the window and crouches on two legs eyeing Tim. 

It's black with clawed toes similar to a raptor from a Jurassic movie, but around knee level it's scales give way to black shaggy fur with bits of congealed blood clumping it. Its got a spiked tail and its torso is slim leading to a thick chest and small arms with claws to match its toes. Its face is a snout that looks as if it's been beaten with a frying pan. Two beady black eyes glare behind the mound of fur and wrinkles on its short stubby snout. 

All in all it was a disgusting horrifying monster and whoever's nightmares Scarecrow took this beast out of must be some dark shit. A groan sounds on the other side of Tim bringing both Tim and the monster out of their moment of peace. The monster growls and steps forward. 

Tim readies his staff and slips a charm into his other hand and around his wrist. The monster lunges forward baring razor sharp teeth grown jagged. Tim slams his staff down onto its head and steps to the side. The monster howls in pain and charges again. Tim dodges again but this time the monsters tail whips around and cuts across his helmet. 

Crap, forgot about that tail, can't do that again. 

Tim sidesteps and ducks underneath the tail and brings his staff up slamming it into the monsters ribs eliciting a snap and a snarl. The monster's been slowed down and it pulls back wary of Tim. Now comes the real task, getting the charm on it. Tim looks down at the beaded charm, different from the ones he grabbed to make him immune to Scarecrow's spells. 

This one stops and gets rid of Scarecrows creations. If only he could just shout bible verses and throw salt at it like Christian demons but no, Scarecrow has to make everything difficult. 

Tim's preparing to take a leap when blue sparks sail past him and hit the monster square on the nose. Stunned the monster simply lets out a whine as Nightwing shoves his ecrisma sticks into its ears, frying it. 

Well that's one way of getting rid of it. 

Nightwing turns to Tim with a smile. It raises the hairs on Tim's arm. This isn't a sincere 'Yay we beat the monster' smile so much as a 'Evaluating you as a threat be prepared to be questioned' smile. 

"Had them on full voltage, " Nightwing begins pulling his sticks out of it's ears and shaking the black goo off of them. "And it just made it angrier."

Could he make it if ran for it? Though that might kind of defeat the purpose of coming to help in the first place. 

Tim doesn't say anything to Nightwing, not yet. He's content to let him make the first move. 

"So who exactly are you? And how did your weapon hurt it when even a couple thousand volts did nothing?" Dick begins to toss one stick into the air, catch it, toss it again. An intimidation technique, one Tim had seen Nightwing use many times. It works most of the time. 

Deciding to reply he responds "We shouldn't waste time. I doubt your colleagues' weapons are working much better."

Dick doesn't quite frown so much as his mouth tightens slightly. As if to prove Tim's point a crash and a shout are heard from the room Tim had chosen not to go into. Nightwing glances over to the hallway and back, the only reason Tim knows Nightwing's eyes are moving behind his white lenses is the slight inclination of his head. Making a decision Dick nods and walks past Tim towards the entrance. 

"You comin' or what?" A small part of Tim is thrilled to be working with one of his childhood heroes, a bigger part of him is wondering how he's going to get out of this. 

A second monster wastes no time in letting its presence be known. A dark shape leaps at them making a clacking noise. NIghtwing jumps to one side and Tim jumps to the other. Tim dodges again as a giant stinger comes striking down at him. Great, a giant scorpion. Fantastic. 

It's literally a giant black scorpion, which is terrifying. Scorpions are creepy enough small, let alone the size of a Fiat. Now a pincer reaches out to snap at him, its gets beaten back by Tim's staff in return. How the hell is he supposed to get the charm on a scorpion?

Both Nightwing and he prowl around it dodging it stinger and pincers. Nightwing seems happy to have found something to banter with, even if it is one sided. The scorpion seems agitated that its prey keeps dodging, at least if its waving stinger and rapidly snapping pincers are anything to go by. 

"So any idea how to deal with this one?" Nightwing asks from the other side. 

"Working on it."

A flash of purple drops down next to Tim. 

"Sorry for being late, had to escort a civilian away from the area." Spoiler regards Tim. "Whose this?"

"I don't know, yet. But his staff managed to hurt one of whatever these are."

Steph must be having loving on it the inside. Only a couple of hours ago Tim was protesting meetings her families civilian identities, and now here they were all working together. Or at least Nightwing and her were, he hadn't seen the others yet. Oh god what if he ran into Batman? What if Red Hood saw him again? There's no way he wouldn't recognize him from the other night. 

A whoosh of air near Tim's head reminds him to focus on the task at hand. Seeing the stinger go for Spoiler gives Tim an idea. 

"Hey guys, I think I have a plan but I'm going to need your help."

"What is it?" Spoiler asks ducking under its stinger and hissing as a pincer cuts the arm of her suit. 

"I need to get this bracelet on its tail but to do that I need to not get stung in the process so I need you two to distract it while I cut the stinger off."

The two stare at Tim until Spoiler huffs. "Why not." 

Nightwing shrugs. "Sure okay. I'm trusting you have something that can cut it? You stay in the back while Spoiler and I distract it, then you jump on it's tail and cut it off. Easy peezy."

Tim nods and steps back while Nightwing and Spoiler run in front of it waving and shouting. Nightwing insults it like he would any criminal. It's not long before it pulls its stinger back to strike and when it does Tim leaps forward pulling a mercury tipped knife out of his belt and slicing the stinger off in one smooth motion. His other hand grips just below where the stinger used to be and he wraps his legs tight around the rest of the tail. The black oily blood that seeps out of the wound isn't exactly helping Tim's grip as he reaches for his charm. 

Chattering in pain the scorpion shakes Tim, lashing at everything and slamming him against walls in an attempt to get him off. Finally Tim manages to slip the charm on the tail. The monster freezes mid motion then it and the charm disappear in a cloud of black smoke. Tim's tailbone aches where it hit the floor. Spoiler reaches out to help him up and Nightwing lets out a whistle. 

"So I take it you can't use those more than once?"

Tim nods. "We should go find the others."

"Too late." An almost robotic too familiar voice speaks a little behind Tim and it takes all his training not to tense up as he turns to look at a slightly black ooze covered Red Hood. Batman and Robin drop down beside him. 

Why didn't he hear them approaching? He should have heard them. How's he gonna get out of this one? 

"Hey B." Nightwing greets. "How'd you take care of the other one?"

Batman stares at Tim while he replies. "I called Zatanna. Who is this?"

Nightwing looks back at Tim. "I don't know who he is, but he knows something about what those things are, or at least how to beat them."

Tim keeps his eyes on Bruce but in the edges of his eyesight he can see Red Hood and Robin move to the back of him. He's now surrounded and has the distinct feeling of a sheep circled by wolves. 

But do not forget, Timothy, you are a dragon, and dragons breathe fire, his mothers' words echo in the back of his mind. Tim stands straighter lifting his chin and levels his eyes with Batman's. He does not speak. He will leave it to Batman to move first. 

"Who are you?" Batman's voice reminds Tim of gargling gravel and cold winds. 

"It doesn't matter." Tim responds. "What does matter is that I came to help, I've done that and now I would leave."

Red Hood chuckles behind him. "Kids got balls, though you'd have to in order to go back for someone in the sewer." Of course Red Hood remembered him. Wonderful. 

"I said, who are you?"

"Someone who wishes you no harm and quite frankly doesn't want to do this again."

Robins clucks his tongue behind Tim. "It's obvious that being nice will get us no where, let me question him Batman."

Tim's really not in the mood to get punched by a twelve year old. Maybe he could reach the transportation spell on his belt? No not surrounded by birds and the bat. He'd have five batarangs in him before he even twitched. 

Someone up there must have decided the joke had gone on long enough because just then a giant bat thing came crashing down from the ceiling screeching loudly. Tim swings his staff ready to jump on it or move. The bat's wing rushes over their heads. Tim, Red Hood, and Robin duck beneath while the others jump back. Batman reaches into his utility belt and comes back with a container of silver powder. Oh right he called Zatanna, she only knows about silver and stuff, not mercury. No one except his family knew about mercury. 

Batman throws the dust onto the bat and it starts to shriek as its flesh burns. Tim's pretty sure they can handle themselves and it's the perfect time for an escape. Can't use his spell though, the silver might mess with it. He makes a run for it planning to get his bike when a sharp pain his left leg makes him stumble. He looks down to see a modified Batarang sticking out. Oh great someone noticed his escape. He yanks it out and while it makes him bleed more it would screw with his advanced healing process. 

Tim looks back once he's started running again to see Red Hood chasing after him. Okay fine wonderful now he has to outrun Red Hood. Fun

He makes it out into an alley on the other side of the bridge before Red Hood tackles him. It's not much of a fight when Red Hood's a much better grappler and has at least ninety pounds on Tim. In the end Red Hood is straddling Tim with his knees holding down Tim's arms and his hands wrapped around Tim's throat squeezing and oh god this is not the time to think about his own choking kink. 

"Hey there, remember me?" Red Hood asks. "We met in the sewers? Yeah well who the fuck are you?"

Tim doesn't answer and it's a good thing he's flexible enough to swing his right leg forward and underneath Red Hood's helmet enough to yank him back. This gives Tim the ability to move his left leg enough that it's behind the knee of his right and voila now he's choking Red Hood with his thighs. Even though Red Hood still has a hand choking around Tim's neck Tim knows he's got a hell of a lot more force in his legs than Red Hood does in his hand at the moment. Tim waits until the squeeze around his neck is nothing then he jumps forward and off and hops onto the fire escape climbing rapidly. He has a couple second head start as Red Hood gasps air back in and starts climbing after him. 

He reaches the top and starts running towards the edge. Red Hood jumps off of the fire escape and spreads his arms out. "No where to run now kid."

No where except down. He's only got one chance at timing this right so he better move fast. Red Hood begins stalking forward and Tim activates the transportation spell and jumps off of the side of the building. Traffic gets closer and louder while the wind whizzes past Tim until he disappears in mid air. He lands with a thud on his bedroom floor in Drake manor. He reaches up and removes his helmet rubbing his eyes. Thank god that's over for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes, this is un-betaed and I should probably be asleep right now. Sorry that it's so late. The only time I really worked on the story was between classes and during them when I finished early then winter break came and I said fuck it. Hope you enjoyed it, please comment if there's anything you'd like to add or if there are things I need to clarify or even if you just enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading!


	4. Annoying Co-Workers and Close Calls

The screech of a Harpy wasn’t exactly the first thing Tim wanted to hear in the morning but it did wake him up even when the annoying beep of a standard alarm clock didn’t. One the down side he woke up expecting there to actually be a Harpy in his room attacking him which led to some pretty interesting falls. 

Tim rubs his eyes not at all prepared to be up and go to work. It didn’t matter that he was the CEO of his company, if he didn’t show up it would send a bad message. The people he employed worked hard and the least he can do is the same. 

He sets about making a cup of coffee and looking into his depleted fridge for something to eat. When was the last time he went grocery shopping? Tim shakes his head and adds creamer to the coffee. He’d just pick something up on the way to work. Once he’s gone through a cup and a half of coffee he’s awake enough to pick out clothes without him ending up on Gotham’s fashion police. Not an experience he’d care to remember. He decides on a gray suit and black shoes. He almost forgoes a tie but decides on a blue one in the end. 

Downstairs the coffee maker has already made another pot of the nectar of the gods. Would it be weird to just take the entire pot and use it as a mug? It would be so much more efficient. Tim once again takes the mercedes as he leaves. Traffic is a pain, though that’s to be expected. By the time he’s gotten to Drake Industries he’s finished his coffee. He pulls into the underground parking lot after Clarence the security guard checks his ID. 

The elevator takes him all the way up to the top floor, where his office is of course. It’s like vigilante rule number one that you always have roof access at all times duh. 

“Good morning Mr. Drake.” Pru his sort of secratary sort of secretary sort of maybe not as ex as the title implies, ex-assassin. Long story short he met her in Europe while working a werewolf human trafficking ring case. She still sort of works for the League of Assassins but spends most of her time in Gotham helping Tim out when she’s not working her own things or getting info from said League of Assassins. Losing a spleen together (though he was the only one to lose it) really forms a bond. 

And the fact that Pru is calling Tim Mr.Drake rather than any colorful nicknames means he has a guest. Is it too late to go make a coffee run?

“Ah yes good morning Mr. Drake.” A familiar smug blonde face greets. It’s too early for this bullshit. 

“Good morning, Mr. Wilson. What brings you here this early?” Tim really wishes he were allowed to just say No and push Albert Denholm Wilson out of his office and out of his company but his dad is an important member of the chairboard. And heck did Albert know it. 

Albert laughs and returns his hands back to his pockets. “What, can’t friends just visit each other?”

“Well I suppose they can, but I need to start reading reports. It’s hard running a company after all.” 

That strikes a nerve. “Yeah you would know wouldn’t you.” Albert sounds bitter now. If only that was enough to get him out of his hair. Instead Albert follows him into his office. Fantastic. Tim sits in his desk chair and opens the files sent to him by Pru from that morning. Oh good there’s been an increase in production. Boy do holiday bonuses work well and fast. 

“So how’s running the company?” Albert sits on Tim’s desk ignoring the papers there. 

“It’s fine. Hard work, but worth it.” 

“I’d hope it’s worth it. Especially since some chair members are getting antsy about that suggested merge with Wayne Enterprises.” 

Tim sighs . “I understand their concerns but they know I have no inclination of Drake Industries merging with anyone.”

Albert shrugs. “Well you were at Wayne’s gala last night weren't you? It's s little suspicious to see you getting all cozy with the head of a rival company.”

By this point Tim’s pretty much done. “Unless you have something constructive to say, leave. Unlike some people I have a company to run. Pru if you would please escort Mr. Wilson out, good bye.”

And with that Pru drags a gaping Albert out of his office and then dragging him out of hers. 

“Well that was annoying.” Pru remarks dropping into one of the chairs in front of Tim’s desk. 

Tim nods. “I really do hate him. You’d think at this point he’d stop blaming me for him not being on the top and instead blame his terrible work ethic. At least his dad is good at what he does. Albert just messes around and spends money.”

“He’s an ass.” Pru agrees. “Although he was right about some of the chair members getting worried about a possible merge.”

“As if I’d ever merge.” Tim scoffs. “My parents said no to the Wayne’s once and I’ll say no to them now. Drake Industries is doing fine on it’s own.”

“I’d say you’re doing more than fine considering the expansion in pharmaceuticals. You better start working on those reports, you have a tour of one of the labs at one and a meeting at two thirty. After that you have another tour in manufacturing and far too much paper work until six, at which point I will throw you out the door if I have too. Chop chop boss man.”

Pru wasn’t kidding about literally throwing Tim out of the door. She almost did but instead threatened to never charm one of his masks again. As good as she was at those kinds of things sometimes Tim regrets teaching her how, if only because she’s more than willing to use them against him when he’s not “taking care of himself” as she puts it. 

By the time the day is over Pru is annoyed and ready to fight, to be honest Tim is a little too. He understands he can’t run his company dictator style and that those on the board have a voice but honestly sometimes they need to shut up. And the fact that one of them insulted Pru when she told them to settle down for a bit only adds to his anger. 

Instead of going back to Drake manor Tim decides instead to go to one of his safehouses, one of the ones he uses as a base of operations when he doesn’t want to go back to the manor. In the elevator he inserts a key which opens a slot in which there is a finger print scanner. Tim puts his thumb on it. It then opens up to a eye scanner, he scans his eyes and finally it opens onto a button which he pushes. The elevator opens into a secret parking lot where he keeps a variety of cars depending on what he needs. He’s rather proud of the set up to be truthful. Credit the parking lot had been there since Drake Tower was first built, but it was only recently in Tim’s time that he put it to this good of a use. There are even multiple versions of the sleek black motorcycle he rides while patrolling. His version of the batmobile he supposes. 

Today he chooses a simple Honda to drive. He doesn’t have to worry about leaving his original car at the tower, Pru’s driving that back to the manor. How she’ll get back here to her own car is beyond Tim but he thinks it might have something to do with her wanting to try out a transportation spell she found. 

The drive to his safe house is enjoyable. By the time he pulls into the parking lot of a simple apartment complex any anger from earlier is gone from his system. Tim decides to take the stairs. This safe house was picked specifically for nights when Tim didn’t want to go back home, so of course it was on the top floor. Easy roof access and all that. 

There’s technically a key to the apartment but Tim’s found it’s easier to just install finger print scanners in all his house’s doorknobs and then pretend to slip a fake key into the lock in case there’s cameras or someone watching him. The apartment is clean. He must not have been here in a while then. The clock on the wall reads seven and Tim decides it’s too early to start patrolling. Instead he goes down to the mainfloor, this time in the elevator, and to the Chinese restaurant next to the complex. He orders orange chicken, Chow Mein and some egg rolls and waits for his order. Once he’s paid for it and gotten it he heads back up to the apartment and continues researching what he’d been working on the morning before the gala. 

Finally at nine he decides it’s dark enough outside for him to get to work. He opens a closet, scans his finger prints, and opens the closet inside of the closet where he has a spare suit. He honestly spends a large amount of money on spares but he was extremely paranoid something might happen to his suit if he had only one and he’d wind up screwed. He slips on the simple black suit with armor. It’d been tested enough times to know that it’s bullet proof and it’s got enough spells and charms on it to keep him safe from most hexes. 

Originally he hadn’t planned on taking on regular patrols like Batman and Nightwing, but after a while there became fewer magical cases alone in Gotham and more regular crime cases, or at least as regular as crime and criminals got in Gotham. Tim could see that the original vigilantes were extremely short handed. It got so bad that one night when Poison Ivy was causing chaos and had all the bats occupied Tim had to cover when Penguin decided to rob some banks. After that Tim decided to just patrol like normal. Heavens know he was getting bored with the lack of magical criminals, as bad as that may sound. And often times magic criminals and the Rouge Gallery overlapped. It was only logical for Tim to patrol. What Tim hadn’t planned on was becoming a vigilante with a name. 

Of course he just had to be dubbed Black Bird by the media, cause of course he’s related to the bats and just has to have a bird themed name. As if there weren’t enough heroes in the city with names that started with B already. Though the fact the suit he wore while patrolling was all black didn’t help. Neither did the mask and the cape but how was he to know the mask looked almost beakish and that the cape looked almost feathered. Steph’s laughter when he first showed her the suit should have been a sign. 

It feels good to have the suit on again though. It feels far more like home than the manor does at least. The only reason he hadn’t been wearing the past few nights was because he didn’t the warlock or his friends to develop a grudge against Black Bird and he didn’t have a suit at the other apartment when Scarecrow attacked. His paranoia at losing a suit had some merit. At least the suit version he is wearing at the moment is originally from the manor. As nice as the others feel he wears this one regularly. Call him sentimental. 

Sneaking up onto and off of the roof is easy. His patrol however does not start easy. He’s fifteen minutes in and he’s already ran into an attempted kidnapping. After ensuring that the woman is okay and safe he leaves only to find a robbery. It’s going to be a fun night Tim thinks as he punches one of the crooks. He swipes another’s legs out from under him and hits the third one with his staff knocking him out. The man they were trying to rob has already run away. No thanks there. Tim ties the three together and dumps them in front of a street light then climbs up a fire escape onto another roof to continue his patrol. 

It’s nothing special, just a bunch of crooks and low level dealers until about one in the morning when Tim hears the sound of gun shots. Of course it’s at the docks, there’s always gun shots at the docks. Why did he even come here? He should stop coming to the docks. And yet he always comes back. 

He rushes towards the guns shots and breaks through the sky light of one of the warehouses and lands in the middle of what looks like an arms deal gone bad. 

“Hey!” One of the criminals yells stepping back and tripping over himself to avoid Tim. The others catch on quick to the fact that Black Bird is there and try to shoot him. Even though Tim has spells and armor he tries to make a point of not wearing them down nor getting shot. While they might not pierce him they still hurt. A lot. 

He ducks behind a crate and flings his own version of batarangs out, hitting the hands of one of the crooks. He yelps and drops the gun. Tim leaps out grabbing the arms of another and forcing him to drop his weapon, then he elbows him in the face. There’s the sound of breaking glass to the side but Tim is preoccupied taking care of the five or so men who decided to mob him. 

Tim ducks a punch and uses the man’s momentum to throw him, then he spikes one of the other’s kicks. The kicker yelps and stumbles. Ouch, might have fractured his shin a little. That’s what the guy gets for not having enough control to pull back though. The third, fourth and fifth men jump Tim all at once apparently enthralled with the idea of dog piling him. It would have worked had Tim not rolled away and snapped out his staff as the first guy got back up. 

He charges Tim and in turn Tim slams his staff on the guys elbow, just light enough to not break it. TIm then turns and shoves the butt of his staff into the guys stomach making him keel over in two. When he does that Tim slams his elbow onto the guys neck knocking him out. 

A glance around the room reveals more people than Tim had counted when he first came and a shiny red helmet. Honestly whoever was in charge of Tim’s luck was shit at their job. Although Tim did have to admire the Red Hood’s fighting style. Jason had only improved since he first started as Robin, and he was impressive then, let alone now.

Noticing Tim’s gaze Red Hood takes the moment to talk. “You just gonna stare or are you gonna help?” 

Tim can feel his skin turn hot at getting caught and he’s pretty sure he’s a bit pink. Trying to hide his blush Tim whirls around and begins fighting again. It doesn’t take long for Tim and Red Hood to get into each other’s rythym. Though Tim had been watching Jason’s fighting style since he was in scaly green panties. It gets to the point where Jason can fling an assailant at Tim and be sure Tim is ready with a swift hit from his staff and vice versa. It’s a nice rythym and Tim begins to appreciate even more why the bats work together. 

Soon all the crooks are either knocked out or too hurt to get up, mostly knocked out. Now it’s just Red Hood and Tim. Red Hood turns to Tim and Tim can feel Red Hood eyeing him. Finally Red Hood speaks. “So do you make it a habit to jump off of buildings?”

Tim does his best to cover his shock but the damage is done. 

“Don’t even pretend, I recoginized the staff and the way you use your opponents weight against them. So how many costumes exactly do you have?”

Tim is honestly unsure how to respond. That seems to be a common denominator when dealing with anyone who works with Batman apparently. “A couple.” He ends up saying. Wow that sounded terrible. 

Tim is tensed, a big contrast to Red Hood’s almost relaxed posture. “You’re a real talkative guy huh? So then, I’d like you to answer a couple of my questions.”

“And I would really like not to answer those questions.” 

“Well that’s a shame because I was really wondering how you knew how to take care of those things. I was also really wondering how you managed to disappear in mid air after jumping off of that building.”

“Both are really good questions with really good answers. I’d just rather not say them.” Tim cuts off Jason’s response to that. “Listen I mean what I said the night Scarecrow got out. I don’t mean any of you any harm, I’m just trying to keep people safe and do my job.”

“That’s great but civilians in the field tend to hurt people sooo.”

Tim quirks an unseen eyebrow. “And who said I was a cilvilian? I’m as much a part of this as you are.”

Whatever Red Hood was going to say to that is ended when Batman’s voice is heard over the comms they use. Tim only just managed to hack into them by luck he was pretty sure. 

“Red Hood, Nightwing we need back up at the old theater on fourth avenue. Code theta.” Batman speaks sounding as dark as ever. Red Hood shakes his head. 

“You got lucky Black Bird. We’ll just have to pick up this talk another time.” And with that Jason strides past him and out the front door to answer Batman’s call. Thank you code theta whatever you are. That was far too close. It seems like Tim’s been having a lot of close calls lately. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was reading through previous chapters and oh god there were so many spelling errors and forgotten words and formatting issues. There still are formatting issues so please bear with me. I tend to write most of my stuff in google docs and formatting is a pain. Thank you for reading! Please comment on anything you liked or any grievous errors that I need to fix.


	5. Golfcart Rides and Small Portions of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steph lets slip that she's friends with Black Bird, Tim has to sit through lunch with Bruce, and maybe some small bonds begin to form.

He decides to call it a night after narrowly avoiding questioning by Red Hood. He retreats back to his apartment barely getting out of his uniform and putting it away before falling face first on his bed soundly asleep. The next morning he actually manages to wake up at eight. Good for you, he thinks. You finally woke up before ten on your own like a functioning adult. 

The cellphone on his table rings. Steph’s face is on the screen and he can see that she’s been calling for a while now. Oh never mind, not a functioning adult after all. 

He stretches a hand out to pick it up and and answer while the other hand tries to wipe away some of the bleariness from his eyes. “Morning Ste-” He starts saying only to be interuppted by Steph talking _extremely_ fast and oh no what did she do. She only talks fast when she’s uncomfortable with what she’s saying. 

“Woah woah woah,” Tim starts holding up a hand as if she’ll see him from wherever she’s calling. “I just woke up and I am no where near awake enough for you to talk that fast. Please say it again slower. Like waaay slower.”

“Okay, I may have just might have accidently that I’m friends with Black Bird.”

Tim bolts upright at that. “What?” 

Steph sighs. “I’m sorry it’s just with what’s happened the past couple of nights with Scarecrow and then you running into Red Hood last night Batman’s been getting really suspicious and he’s worried that you’re either a new rouge in town or that you’re some kids that’s going to get themselves killed. Either way he wanted to stop you and that wouldn’t end well so I stepped in and said that you know what you’re doing and are almost as driven by justice as Batman himself at times. Of course Batman pressed further and asked me how I knew this. I couldn’t just outright lie to his face so I said that I met you on patrol a couple years ago and that we would occasionally team up when the others were occupied. I think that he’s starting to suspect you Tim.” Tim groans rubbing his eyes then looks up in horror with a sudden realization. “Oh god.”

“What’s wrong? Aside from the obvious.”

“I have a luncheon with Bruce Wayne today at one.”

Steph barely holds back a choked giggle. “Sorry sorry it’s just, that sounds like something out of a sitcom. I am so sorry for getting you into this mess. I’ll try to clear B’s suspicion as much as possible without revealing too much. I have to go, Cass needs me to help her with her reading. Good luck at lunch.” 

“Thanks, talk to you later.” With that Tim hangs up and tosses his phone on the bed. Today is going to be a long, long day. 

 

This summer’s been hot and it appears it’s going to go out in a blaze of glory if the record temperatures are any indication. As if Tim didn’t have enough to sweat about in the middle of a crowd of vigilantes. Bruce appears to have taken a special interest in him because he places Tim at his own table right between him and Dick who decided to make an appearance. Damian sits across from him scowling into his fruit salad. God help him survive this day. It would have been bad enough even if Bruce wasn’t suspicious of him. 

Tim takes a sip of his orange juice and wishes he were anywhere but here. He normally hates dealing with events like this but right now he’d die for the chance to go sit elsewhere and have to make unimportant chatter. 

“So how are you doing Tim? It’s been a long two days since we last saw each other.” Bruce asks. Even though he has the public ‘devil may care’ persona of Brucie, Tim can feel Bruce and Batman behind there, evaluating him, studying and analyzing him. He resists the urge to gulp. 

“Things have been well sir. And you?”

Bruce lets out a loud laugh drawing attention from a couple of tables over. “Sir! Did you hear that Dick? Please Tim, call me Bruce.”

Tim smiles back. “Things have been well Bruce. And you?” 

“Well they couldn’t be better. Although the heat is rather stifling. You know what would feel great right about now? A fast cool wind. How about a golf cart ride Tim?” As if on cue Dick stands up gesturing to a waiter who brings over keys. Oh great they had this planned. Tim wonders what this could accomplish until he remembers the way ‘Brucie’ drives. Maybe they’re trying to get a rise out him? Trying to get him to do something to prove he’s Black Bird? Fantastic, now he has to pretend to somewhat un-enjoy a ride with Brucie as the driver and he has to react like any other spoiled rich kid if anything happens. Like say getting thrown out of the car. This could be tricky. 

Bruce sits in the drivers side squishing Tim in the middle between him and Dick. And now he has no escape roots. He wonders where Damian is when he sees that the youngest Wayne has managed to slip away and pull out a sketch pad. 

The ride starts at a breakneck pace, it feels as if this golf cart goes much faster than it should be going. Tim wouldn’t put it past Bruce to have altered it. Bruce swerves and climbs sand dunes, tearing the golf courses emerald green grass in his wake. It almost makes Tim wish this was the Batmobile and that they could really go fast. Instead he has to pretend to be terrified. If the look on Dick’s face means what he thinks it means then Tim must be doing a somewhat acceptable job of it. 

When they stop and get out Tim acts like his legs feel like jello and has to sit down. Bruce and Dick look at him with concern. 

“You doing alright there Timbo?”

Tim smiles weakly. “I’m good.”

“Well that was some driving!” Vicki Vale saunters over. “I can see tomorrow’s headline! Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson indoctrine young Tim Drake into the bad Wayne’s club! Hope you aren’t trying to adopt another blue eyed black haired child Bruce. This one’s doing pretty well on his own.” 

Bruce laughs. Tim drowns out their conversation and instead looks at Dick. He might be able to use this to get out of the lunch. 

“Hey Dick?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I might need to leave. I’d really rather not throw up in front of everyone.”

Dick looks him up and down. “You do look kind of green around the gills. You want me to drive you home?”

Tim shakes his head but it’s futile in the attack that is Dick’s puppy dog eyes. And that’s how Tim ends up trapped in Dick Grayson’s car giving him directions to the apartment he’s been using. If he gave him directions to a different apartment Dick would immediately notice it’s not being used and get suspicious. This looks to be the least dangerous course of action. It still irks Tim. 

Dick chatters the way there, but it’s nice. It feels sincere rather than forced and fake like at events. It makes Tim feel kind of bad for lying about who he is. Steph is right in that he does think it would be nice to have a network of friends and family like she does with the bats. Tim’s just not sure how to go about and whether he’ll break any links before he’s even started creating them. 

“Sorry about Bruce’s driving.” Dick says as he helps Tim into the elevator, riding it up with him. “I forget that some people find his driving to be all over the place. I’ve kind of gotten used to it so it seems fun.”

Tim nods. “I was having fun for a bit, but then the fruit parfait started fighting back and it went downhill from there.”

Dick laughs as the elevator doors ding open onto Tim’s floor. He walks him to his door and watches Tim put his key into the door, this time for real. He doesn’t want to chance it with Dick. 

“If you need anything let me know, okay Tim?”

Tim nods. “I’ll do that. Thanks for the help. See you at the next event!” Tim watches until Dick has steped into the elevators and the doors are closed. Only then does Tim shut his own and slide down. Now Dick knows where his apartment is and that means Oracle does too, if she didn’t already. He’s going to have to sweep the place for bugs. Or move. He really does like this place though. 

 

That night Tim vents out a little steam on patrol. It feels good to run and jump and kick and punch. Better than feeling crammed at a sweaty lunch and thinking up ways to convinve his best friends family that he’s not who he actually is. 

Tim lands a kick to a guy’s face and hits another with a flying knee kick. When he lands on the ground he looks around for any other would be gang members. He stiffens feeling eyes on him and his stomach sinks. Turning around slowly he sees a large black shadow with glowing white eyes. Of course Batman found him. 

Tim waits as Batman rises to his full six foot two height, making Tim crane his neck upward to look at him. 

Tim expects him to make some speech about this not being a game, expects him to grill Tim and treat him like a suspect, or at least tell him to go home. Tim does not expect Batman to say “We need to talk.” and stride past him expecting Tim to follow. Of course Tim follows. 

He shoots his own grappling hook when Batman shoots his, always two steps behind and one to the left of Batman. Just as Robin would. It’s almost scary how easy he falls into the habit. It reminds him of when he watched Batman and Robin fly. When he was a kid hiding on roof’s sneaking pictures of his heroes. When he dreamed of one day flying with them. But now isn’t the time for that. The fact that he’s taken Robin’s spot only makes him wonder where Damian is. 

He and Batman take down robbers and drug deals together. At first Tim startled when Batman gestured for him to follow, but he soon fell into the rythym of fighting with Batman almost as quickly as fighting with Red Hood. For a small time it almost feels as much like home as putting on his suit. But then Batman stops on a roof and gestures for Tim to stop. 

“Who are you?” Batman asks. 

“Black Bird.”

“We both know that’s not what I meant.”

“We both know that I’m probably not going to answer that. At least for the moment.”

Batman nods just barely. “What do you want?”

“The same as you.”

“You’re friends with Spoiler.” It’s not a question. Yet Tim answers with a nod. 

“I trust Spoiler and I trust her judgment. I am extending a small portion of it to you in respect to her saying you’re trustworthy. Do not make me regret it Black Bird.”

Tim nods. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Of course the moment had to be ruined with giant question marks popping up on the electronic billboards around them, followed by a familiar face. 

“Hello Gotham!” Riddler starts, drawing out the ‘O’ in hello. “I thought it would be fun if we played a game tonight! Are you listening Batman? Listen close ‘cause I’ve got three friends of yours depending on this! I am a word of meanings three. Three ways of spelling me there be. The first is a smell, an odor if you will.The second is money, but not in a bill.The third is past tense, a way of passing things on or around . Can you tell me these words that have the same sound? You have three hours to figure it out Batman!” And then his face dissapears off of the screens and the night truly begins. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always please comment on what you liked or think I need to work on or if I spelt something wrong. Credit for the riddle to riddlers.org. http://www.riddlers.org/mobile/riddles/categoryView/1/page:45


	6. Riddles and Blindfolds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim gets to see the long dreamed of Batcave, riddles are solved and necklaces are saved.

Batman immediatly opens his connection to Oracle who begins searching for missing important figures in Gotham. Turns out the new district attorney, the mayor and Vicki Vale are missing. Of course.

“Black Bird I’m making you an offer.” Batman speaks once he’s done talking to Oracle. Tim looks at him suddenly wary and thrumming with energy at the same time. “There are three hostages and five of us not counting you or Red Hood. I am offering you the chance to accompany me in handling the Riddler tonight. I will take you back to my base, blindfolded, where we will work together to stop Riddler and save the hostages. You don’t have to agree to this.”

Tim doesn’t have to think long before speaking. “I would be stupid to say no. Blindfold away.” Which Batman, as always, takes enthusiastically. On the bright side he gets to see the inside of the Batmobile (It’s just as cool as he thought it would be) before Batman wraps dark fabric around his eyes and upper face like there’s no tomorrow. Tim knows better to complain, at least not yet when they’re just starting to get to know each other. If it were Steph or Pru though he’d be complaining nonstop. Ah friendship. 

The Batmobile doesn’t jolt forward, no it _glides_ forward quickly traveling at speeds in the high double digits. God what Tim would give to drive this. 

Soon they’re at the Batcave (If only Batman knew Tim already knows everything.) Batman unwraps Tim’s mummified head and steps out once finished. Tim follows and stands in awe for a bit. It’s one thing to know your neighbor is your childhood hero and that they have a secret HQ under their house, it’s a completely different thing to see it. Bats screech from far away and it’s surprisingly well lit for it being so big. Stalagmites and stalactites throw shadows in the far reaches of the cave. Tim walks following Batman away from where the Batmobile is parked on a spacious flat stretch and up some small stairs towards a raised platform that looks like a training ring. Tim can see another area with what looks like gymnastic equipment. Above the training ring following more steps and rails is the mother load of a giant state of the art computer. Tim shivers upon seeing it. Then recoils at seeing a grouching Robin leaning next to it with crossed arms. 

“Why is he here Batman?” Robin asks upon seeing that Batman has a guest. 

“We could use the extra hands. Good to see you suited up as I asked.”

Robin makes a “tt” sound with his tongue. “I at least can follow orders, unline Hood.”

Tim resists the urge to add that more often than not capricious not enemies rather a team under a leader. But now doesn’t really seem like the time to say it so Tim swallows it down and joins Batman at the computer where he’s pulling up Riddler’s video and writing the riddle. 

“I am a word of meanings three. Three ways of spelling me there be. The first is a smell, an odor if you will.The second is money, but not in a bill.The third is past tense, a way of passing things on or around . Can you tell me these words that have the same sound?” Tim reads out loud thinking. “Scent, cent, and sent.”

Batman nods. “What do smell, change, and mailing have in common?” 

Tim is quite sure that Batman is testing him because it comes pretty easy. “Well Riddler said he had three people, the DA, the mayor, and Vicki Vale. And cent could refer to a bank while sent could refer to a post office or something. And scent could maybe be a perfume factory, or a comestic factory. I’ve heard Vicki Vale is prone to wearing copious amounts of fragrance.”

Again Batman nods and Tim feels a warming in his stomach. Then he feels a sinking when he hears another pair of footsteps. 

“Well aren’t you a smart little bird?” Nightwing’s managed to get just behind Tim without him hearing and wow never doubt how well trained Nightwing is, even in the face of his terrible puns and jokes. “Nice job.”

Under the mask Tim flushes slightly at the outright approval. Considering Nightwing doesn’t go on the offensive or start questioning anyone Batman must have talked to them at some point about extending some trust to Black Bird. It seems like the most likely thing at least. 

Batman searches perfume and cosmetic factories in Gotham and comes up with Lorans Facial and Body. “Nightwing I want you and Robin to go rescue Vale. be careful, we don’t where Riddler is going to be, or if he’s even going to be with any of his hostages.”

Robin doesn’t groan so much as make a hissing “tt” sound. “Doesn’t Robin belong with Batman?”

Batman continues typing while answering Robin. “Tonight Robin can learn to work outside of his regular team. I didn’t expect to hear you complain much about your partner.” Next on the computer is Gotham National Bank and the largest post office in the city. “The DA is at the post office, he’s the only one who’s close to sending anything. In Riddler’s eyes it would be him sending criminals to jail. The Mayor is at the bank.” Batman touches a hand to where his ears would be before speaking again. “Spoiler, Batgirl. I want you two to meet outside of the post office on fourty fourth street, then I want you to save the DA. Oracle is sending you further instructions to read on your way. Batman out.”

Nightwing and Robin leave on their own motorbikes. Batman gestures for Tim to get back in the Batmobile where he is once again wrapped like a modern day mummy before they leave. 

Once they’ve reach about a block away from the bank Batman unwraps him. “Are you ready?”

Tim smiles back. “I’ve been waiting for something big all night. Aside from suddenly turning around to see Batman behind you and being taken to his lair of course.” Hmm, no laugh. One day. One day Tim will make Batman laugh, or at least scoff. 

The two swing to the top of the building across from the bank and go over blue prints and plans before deciding on a route and beginning. It all takes less than three minutes, and that much because the building had been renovated last year and the plans were all over the place. Batman checks in with Oracle whose hacked the banks cameras. 

“The mayor is on the first floor, middle of the room tied to a chair. Looks like seventeen or so hench men, none are relatively close to each other. I think they’re having a riddle contest. I honestly think they are. Riddler hires such nerds.” 

In the end Batman and him decide to just smash through the windows. Even as the glass shatters around them Tim mourns the beautiful stained glass. Beautiful things tend not to last long in Gotham without learning to defend themselves. He supposes it’s Gotham’s own way of insuring her children are strong. 

Tim rolls to the left of the mayor and Batman rolls to the right. He screams through the gag in his mouth at the sudden entrance. Same Mr. Mayor, same. 

The Riddler’s henchmen stop their contest, god they are nerds, and start attacking Batman and Black Bird, who’ve had all night to get into the rhythm of each other. It’s not long until they’re all unconcious and Batman is untying the gag in the mayor’s mouth. 

The mayor shudders out a breath as saliva drips from the piece of fabric. Gross. “He, he said he left something for you in one of the vaults. Vault M I think. Yes, M.” Black Bird helps the mayor calm down and breath while Batman goes and searches the vaults. He returns some minutes later with a sheet of paper in his hands. 

Police sirens blare outside and bright flashing lights light up the bank. Batman looks at Tim then nods up and gives a hand signal. Tim follows him zooping to the rafters of the bank where they then sneak out of a window and zoom to the roof of the building across the street. Once there Batman reads what’s on the paper. “I am a place where old and new connect. It looks like the beginning of another riddle. Nightwing, Spoiler, be on the lookout for slips of paper with pieces of a riddle on them. It looks like Riddler is sending us on a chase.”

“Should we go back to your cave? I honestly never thought I would say that, it sounds kind of ridiculous.”

“It would seem best.” The two descend and walk to the batmobile. Tim is getting tired of being blindfolded to the point where he could audition for king Tut, but you have to pay a price to work with heroes apparently.

Spoiler and Batgirl are already at the cave when they get there. Nightwing and Robin pull in on the batmobile’s heels. 

“Almost beat you guys here!” Nightwing exclaims jumping off the bike. Robin grumbles about working with idiots and retreats to a corner in his customary stance of arms crossed and scowl on his face. Kids gonna get wrinkles before he’s thirty. 

Spoiler jumps down in front of Tim. “So you’ve started working with the family then huh?” 

“Did you find any riddle pieces?” Batman growls. 

Batgirl and Nightwing hold up twin pieces at the same time. Batman collects them both and reads them out loud with his own slip. 

“I am a place where old and new connect; made from items humanity collects’;where old walks among today; and rich mingle among the old way.”

Steph groans. “That sounds like something out of a fantasy novel. It’s worded so weird. Tell me I’m wrong.” She looks at Tim when she says this. He just smiles. 

“It sounds like a museum. And there’s a visiting ancient Egypt exhibit in town. One of the selling points was a priceless meteorite necklace as part of it. Is it possible Riddler is going to try to steal it?”

Tim stiffens when Nightwing slides an arm around his shoulders and pulls him in close. “Can we keep him?” Nightwing asks Batman. Batman just gives him a look and Nightwing lets go. Tim does not loosen. Cass giggles and Steph snorts. 

“He’s not exactly used to physical contact. Took forever to be able to give him a hug.” She explains. 

“I think I’d like to be mummified and put in the batmobile now please.” Tim says turning to Batman. He thankfully takes pity on him. Tim doesn’t even mind the wall of a blindfold this time. 

It feels like the only speeds the batmobile goes are ‘soon’ and ‘now’ because it never takes much time for them to reach their destination in the couple of times tonight Tim’s rode in it. They’re parked in fron of the exhibit hall hosting the Egyptian exhibit. No lights are on but most crooks tend to keep those off. The others are right behind them. 

“Nightwing, Spoiler you enter from the back, Cass, Robin you from the north east. Black Bird and I will enter from the northwest.” 

The team quickly get into positions and it’s not long before they’re in the hall in the rough shape of a large triangle. If you squinted your eyes and closed the left one that is. There’s a shape in the middle of the hall where the necklace is resting on an alarmed display case. As the vigilantes step across a line alarms go off and lights come on. 

Riddler spreads his arms wide. “And the bat does it again! But whose this guest with you? Did the great detective have to get outside help? You dissapoint Batman!” 

“Riddler, give up peacefully.” Batman intones. 

Riddler tuts. “I don’t think you’re in any position to give orders.” Green clad henchmen step out behind them all, most grinning and swinging weapons. There are maybe thirty or fourty, it’s hard to tell when they blend like Zebra. 

The heroes look at Batman who nods. Then hell breaks loose as they all pounce on the nearest green clad about to be toothless person. Riddler breaks the case and snatches the necklace inside before making a run for it. Tim sidesteps someone charging for him and elbows another in the face before running after Riddler. 

Riddler makes it a courtyard outside the museum before Tim finally traps him. 

“It’s not fair!” Riddler screams. “I finally get a chance at succeeding and then you show up! You’re not one of the main players! You ruined everything!” 

Tim cocks his head to the side. “Sorry?” He questions. Riddler suprisingly doesn’t fight. He does however put down the necklace muttering about injustice as Tim ties his hands behind his back. Batman and Batgirl come out after him. Batman nods towards Riddler. 

“Nicely done.” Tim again feels warm in his lower stomach. Maybe it’s indigestion? Or it could just be he’s not used to getting complemented. 

Tim reaches an arm behind him and rubs his neck. “He didn’t really fight back or anything. Just kind of gave up and said it’s unfair that I was here. I don’t think that deserves a nicely done.”

Batgirl smiles and walks over to Riddler. She helps him up and walks him inside. Sirens sound in the distance. It won’t be long before the GCPD are here. Batman looks away then looks back at Tim. 

“You should go. We’ll take care of the rest here. Maybe if we’re short on help again I’ll call you next time.” 

Tim doesn’t have the chance to argue as Batman turns his back and walks back inside to explain to commissioner Gordon what happened. He fires his grappling gun and climbs the museums roof, using it to make it another taller building and so forth until he’s on a skyscraper. Tim smiles dumbly to himself as he looks down at Gotham traffic perched on a gargoyle. He feels both satisfied and confused at the nights events. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If only I could write all my things as fast as I've written this chapter compared to me only just posting the previous one yesterday. I've started to get bored during school and making plot lines for this has really been helping the writing come along. This time I had to make my own riddles so sorry if they're complete shit. Thanks for reading! Please comment with suggestions or things you like.


	7. Friend Dates and Coerced Family Dinners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Tim wanted was to be able to spend some time with his best friend, maybe watch a movie and get something to eat. Not get stalked by his best friends vigilante brothers. Why does this keep happening to him?

“Oh my god I think that’s my new favorite movie.” The main room of the movie theater is bright compared to the dim of the theater they just came out of it. Tim can’t help but remember that one tumblr post where someone said they feel like they can do anything after seeing a movie and a theater worker said movie goers look like idiots when they first walk out. 

“I know right! And the part where they showed nothing but Deadpool’s butt for like three minutes at least!” Steph slaps her thigh and crows drawing a couple of turned faces. “Take that no homo dude-bros!” 

Tim rubs his eyes and throws away his now empty giant cup of coke (Small his ass. Though if he’s paying like seven dollars for it it better be big.) “You hungry? There’s a diner around the corner that has some bomb burgers.” 

Steph holds a hand to her heart. “I’m always hungry for some bomb burgers Tim, why do you even need to ask?” 

The diner doesn’t look like much but then again most of the good ones are the ones you’d never notice unless it’s three in the morning suffering from blood loss with a craving for fried eggs, but that’s a different story. 

“Hey there Tim!” Dolly greets him when she sees him open the door and lead Steph to his normal seat. “I’ll be with ya in a sec.” Tim sits opposite Steph with his back to the door. The bell attached to it rings. Must be a busy day for the diner. 

“Here you go.” Dolly comes with a platter of water and coffee, praise Jesus for this woman, she just leaves the entire coffee pot with them knowing Tim will go through the whole thing. “What can I get you all to eat?”

Steph gives the menu a quick once over before ordering a cheese burger with fries, Tim orders the same. Dolly writes it on her paper pad, nods and goes to give it to Stan the chef. Steph and Tim talk about their favorite parts of the movie until they’re food arrives. Tim thanks Dolly and waits for Steph to take a bite before eating his. “You’re right, this is a bomb burger.”

Tim smiles and takes a giant bite of his burger closing his eyes while doing so. Steph laughs at him and Tim looks up from his burger confused. “You still moan into your food. It sounds like you’re having sex with your food Tim. That’s a whole different kind of playing with your food.” 

Tim rolls his eyes. So what if he enjoys his food? If it’s good it’s good. The bell behind Tim rings again and Steph’s face darkens. Tim resists the urge to look behind him. He tries to angle his coffee cup or spoon to look behind him without being obvious but it doesn’t work. Instead Tim puts down his burger and makes the hand signal for ‘Danger?’. 

Steph scowls back and shakes her head signing instead ‘Ally.’ One fault with Batman’s hand signal version of sign language is that most of it is fight related, so there’s no signal for ‘Family’ as Tim soon realizes when Steph curses “Damnit Dick.”. At first he thinks she means dick like lower case D, not dick like acrobatic older brother with a penchant for cuddling and not letting go.

“I swear to god I’m going to punch them so hard when I get home.” Steph lowers her voice. 

Tim raises and eyebrow. “Them?” he questions. 

“He’s got Damian and Jason with him too. How he managed it I don’t know. I do however know that they’re all dead when I get home.” 

Tim closes his eyes and breathes. Great. Just great. He thinks before “Hey do you want to play a game?”

Steph looks up with a raised eyebrow to twin Tim’s previous one. “I know I said I was going to murder them but I didn’t mean Saw style Tim you evil master mind.” 

“Well if they’re gonna follow us we might as well give them something to follow right? After all they were trained by a very scary very good man, we should put that to the test, right?”

Steph’s face brightens. “You know, that sounds like a plan.”

Tim waves Dolly over and pays for their late lunch before they leave and walk back to Tim’s car. Behind them they can see the shadows of Steph’s brothers following them. Instead of going to the underground parking lot Tim and Steph jerk left and down into the subway instead. 

They quickly shove cash into the till and run down and into a corner where they wait until they hear her brother’s foot steps past. They then run back out and get onto a departing train heading uptown. As the doors closed Dick pushes onto the platform and watches Steph wave goodbye. Tim wishes he could have snapped a picture of Dick’s face. In fact he might just hack the subways’ cameras and see if they caught the look he made. If they did he’s going to frame it and put it above his fire place. 

Halfway up town where the subway stops Tim and Steph get off and make a rush for the stairs. Once up on the surface they take a cab and split after five minutes of drving. They go their seperate ways and Tim can see Damian scowling with Dick some fifteen yards behind him. Tim dives into a dress shop where he knows the owner. Fabian doesn’t even ask questions as he gestures Tim past a very confused bride and into an escape route. 

Once he’s shaken Dick and Damian, Tim meets back up with Steph at a 7-11 on the corner of fifth and fourth. They then rush to another cab take it till they get to an apartment building and they then walk down the allys to the mall of Gotham. They speedwalk to the first clothing store they see and hide in the clothing racks in the back. Tim really hopes there are no employees nearby. 

It’s not long until Dick, Damian and Jason walk by. Dick’s muttering to them but they aren’t very responsive. As fate would have it they stop right in front of the clothing rack Steph and Tim are hiding in. 

“I can’t believe we lost them! How’d Tim lose us Dami? How did he lose us? And Jay, I thought you were on top of following Steph! How’d you lose her? But whe does Tim know to walk into a dress shop and not walk back out but still wind up three miles up town?”

Jason snorts. “Hell if I know. You know what else I don’t know? Why I have to be here when I’ve only bumped into the kid once.”

Damian nods. “For once Todd and I are in agreement. Why do we have to join in on this waste of time Grayson?”

Dick feigns hurt and shoots them a look of betrayal. “As Steph’s family it is our job to know about her life and take care of her! It’s our job to make sure her friends won’t hurt her!”

Jason looks at Dick with dead, dead eyes. “Have you forgotten the fact that she’s as trained as you and I? Or the fact that she knows how to kill a man with her bare hands as many times as there are days in the year? And yet she doesn’t. I think she can take care of herself Dick.”

Dick scoffs. “I know that! But she’s known this guy for three years and we only just met him! Doesn’t that sound kind of suspicious to you! For all we know he could be a spy or under Luthor’s pay roll or even worse he could be just some ass who doesn’t want people to know about him so he can control Steph!” 

Steph decides to slowly inch out of the clothing rack that Dick’s back is to. She drags Tim out with her. Jason and Damian notice but don’t say anything. Jason’s eyes look alight and the left side of Damian’s mouth pulls up in a smirk. 

Dick continues not noticing. “We know nothing about this guy except for that he’s the CEO of one of Wayne Enterprise’s enemy companies! Maybe he’s a spy whose trying to take over Wayne Enterprises!” 

“I don’t know Dick, why don’t you ask him yourself.” Steph speaks behind him. He freezes and slowly turns his head around to look at her. 

“Oh, hey little sister. How’re you?” 

“Annoyed.” Her voice is as dry as the Sahara and oh boy Tim is crowing inside. As much as he says he hates drama he loves to see it. It could be worse though. Jason starts gang wars when he’s bored, Tim just pushes people a bit off the edge so that they snap about snickerdoodles or stealing their man. 

“Oh wow, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do for you? Some water, a snack maybe?”

“You could stop spying on me and my friends! Don’t you have something better to be doing Dick than this? I know you’re a weirdo but spying on high school kids? That’s a new low Dick.” 

Jason is pounding on the display table next to him and Damian is holding back laughter. 

Dick splutters then sighs. “Sorry Steph. It’s just we don’t know anything about your boyfriend and we’re just trying to look out for you.” 

Jason raises a hand and speaks. “I was forced into this! I know that if someone messed with you, you’d get them back.” 

“Fatgirl can take care of herself Grayson. There’s no reason to follow her and boyfriend on their date.”

Tim is spluttering at Dickand Damian calling him Steph’s boyfriend. Jason looks at him and barely contains a snort laugh thing. Steph looks at Tim and glares at Dick. “And now you’re embarrassing my friend! Key word friend! We are not dating!” 

Tim can feel his face heat. How do you react to your friend’s vigilante brothers thinking your dating your best friend? If they were anyone on his board or if he were Black Bird he wouldn’t be blushing. No he’d know exactly who he is and how to react. Instead he’s trying to figure out where he belongs in this mess of Steph’s family and how to act around them without making too bad of an impression. 

“Because you three decided to follow us around you can drive me home after Tim and I get a lemonade! Meet me in front of the mall in like ten minutes.” Once they’re a fair distance away Steph turns to Tim smiling. “Sorry my brother’s are asses. You know I haven’t seen you turn that red since I first stripped down in front of you.” 

They do get a lemonade like Steph said they would. “Do you want Dick to drive you down to the movie theater so you can get your car or do you want to walk there? It’s getting pretty late, I didn’t realize how much time we spent running and hiding from them.”

Tim shakes his head. “Nah, I think the walk will do me good. I had fun today Steph, see you later.” They hug when they reach the mall exit. Damian is waiting in the back seat of Dick’s car, which Dick is leaning against waiting for Steph. Tim and Steph part and he starts walking towards the nearest subway when he hears someone call his name. 

Tim turns to see Jason on his motorcycle, shit, holding his helmet in his lap. In that moment Tim is reminded of how attractive Steph’s second eldest brother is. 

“Hey strawberry!” Jason calls again. “Sorry about that, I didn’t know what Dick had planned until I saw you two at the movie theater.” 

Tim rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry?” he says unsure. “Um, why is Dick so interested in me?”

Jason shrugs. “Dick was a raised in a circus, hard to believe I know.” Jason speaks sarcastic almost as well as Tim. Do not get a crush on your friend’s brother Tim, do not it. Maybe he should check himself into Arkham if he’s starting to talk to himself in his head. “But Dick’s used to everyone being a big family and family being in each other’s business like 24/7. He’s used to knowing everything about his family, including things about their not boyfriends.”

Tim ignores the last part of Jason’s sentence. “Yeah but he doesn’t have to stalk us. He could just ask me like a normal person.”

Jason smiles and Tim resists the urge to run or shudder or both. It’s not a razor thin smile like Tim when he’s closing in on someone in the board room but it delivers the same message in it’s wolf like display of teeth. 

“Great!” Jason says. “Then you can drop by at the family dinner tomorrow at six! Don’t be late and bring wine, bye!” With that Jason puts his helmet on and zooms away leaving Tim with his jaw hanging and struggling to get a word out. 

 

Tim takes a steadying breath as he reaches a hand up to knock on the doors to Wayne Manor at exactly 5:58 pm. He doesn’t get the chance to knock as it swings open to reveal Alfred standing behind it. 

“Ah, very good to see you young sir, right on time. We’re so please you could come. Right this way.” Alfred leads Tim inside and takes the bottle of wine Tim offers. 

“A fine vintage, thank you sir. I’ll serve it with dinner. Dinner is being served in the second dining room, Master Bruce wished for it to be a familial affair.” Alfred leads Tim to said second dining room. Tim chokes down the urge to gulp as the entire bat family turns to look up at him. Bruce is sitting at the head of the table, Dick is on his right, Steph sits next to him and Cass sits next to her. On Bruce’s left side is Damian, an empty seat, and then Jason. Tim really wants to fight whoever it is that manages his luck. They must be having a hell of a time wherever they are. 

Tim sits in between Damian and Jason and can’t help but feel like he’s in a den of wolves. Though bats is more fitting. Oh god what if they’re vampires? He glances at the silverware quickly and sees it actually is silver. Well them being vampires is out. 

“Thank you for having me Mr. Wayne.” 

Bruce laughs loudly but his eyes are still cold to Tim’s eyes. “Please, Tim, just call me Bruce. Mr. Wayne sounds so stuffy. Now then, what are your goals in life?” 

Tim gives the usual answer of becoming better and keeping Drake Industries successful. Dick jumps in with another question before Tim is even finished with the last breath of his sentence. Dinner is tense at first with everyone trying to figure Tim out and Tim them in return, albiet a little less as out there as the Wayne’s are. Even Jason jumps in a couple of times. 

Then Alfred brings out the first dish and they eat and things become a little less tense. Dick and Bruce are the only ones who can legally drink the wine Tim brought. Not that it would loosen their tongues any, Bruce has trained all his kids to deal with alcohol. Just like Tim’s mother trained him when she started taking him to business parties. 

They’re starting to actually laugh by the time the main course gets around, Dick is in the middle of a thrilling story about Jason’s childhood. No one directly addresses Jason being the same one who died, just like no one addresses the suspicion that Tim is Black Bird. Some would call them loose ends but Tim already knows their secrets, and if worse comes to worse he can always spell a twin vision of him and place Black Bird and Tim Drake in the same room at once to dispel any remainder belief that he is who he is indeed. 

“Dessert will be served in the sitting room. I will be with you shortly to serve it.”

Tim follows the Wayne’s. His smile is for real as he listens to Jason’s response to Dick talking about Jason’s first crush. Everyone looks up in surprise when the clock tolls nine. Tim knows he’ll need to leave now, nights have been getting longer and patrols have been starting earlier. 

Not even five minutes later Bruce says something about it getting late and needing sleep. Dick leads Tim to the door while Alfred cleans up. 

“I was nervous when I first came here that you all would eat me alive.” Tim says at the door. “I’m glad tonight was fun.” 

“Same. You should come to movie night next week. I’ll text you what time if you want, it kind of changes with schedules.” 

When Tim first woke up this morning he wasn’t expecting to be exchanging phone numbers with Dick Grayson by the end of the day and yet here he is. When Dick says he should come to movie night Tim can’t help but remember how smoothly Jason got Tim to come here tonight. It must be something Bruce teaches them. 


	8. Bright Ideas and Explaining Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim gets poisoned and ends up having to explain shit.

So maybe deciding to break into one of Penguin’s weapon deals alone wasn’t the brightest of Tim’s ideas. 

“Would ya hold still so I could shoot you!” One of the henchmen shouts at Tim. 

“Sorry, but I would prefer to not look like swiss cheese.” Tim answers as he jumps to the side and kicks another henchman. 

The one yelling at him snarls. “Real sarcastic ain’t ya!” 

The phrase reminds Tim of a couple of days ago when he was having lunch with Steph and her family. He’d said something sarcastic in his typical fashion and the entire table except for Steph froze looking at him. Tim wonders if they’re going to say he can’t be friends with Steph anymore when Jason snorts. “I knew you were Steph’s friend for a reason.” 

Another bang from a different gun makes Tim turn his head left. He grabs and twists the wrist of the woman holding the weapon and makes her drop it. The other guy takes the moment to adjust his aim and fire, it barely misses. Someone rams into him from the side and he feels people begin to pile on top of him before he gets out and jumps onto some crates to re-evaluate the situation. There are even more people than before and the exits are blocked. Well no way to go but forward.

Tim jumps back into the forway and continues fighting. He feels a pinch at his side and something warm but he ignores it. A large man punches him in the chest and he stumbles and falls. He thinks he hears something snapping? It might be his ribs, might be a crate. Have to keeep fighting, get up Timothy, this is nothing. He stands again wobbling slightly. Multiple people rush him, he jumps and flips over them all taking one down on the way. When he lands his foot slips and one of the henchmen takes the chance to knock him down again. Another jumps on him holding his hands down with his knees and closes his hands on Tim’s throat. The edges of Tim’s vision start to darken. Bad Tim, bad. Get up, keep fighting. You lost focous that was stupid. His vision gets even darker and darker until he can barely see the blurry face in front of his own. 

Hell Steph is gonna kill him. Pru’s probably gonna help her. And he had just started getting along with her family too. 

Tim’s vision is almost completely black when he feels the weight on top of him be jerked off. His lungs feel with air but his vision remains dark. Maybe he should take a nap. A nap sounds good, when he wakes up everything will be better. 

Tim’s mind barely registers someone saying “Jesus kid.” His last thought before he passes out is that was sloppy Timothy. It sounds vaguely like his mother. 

 

His head pounds in rhythm to his heartbeat. His ribs ache and when stretches he winces and curls in at the stabbing pain in his side. Blearily he opens his eyes and blinks before they come into focous. He jolts when he sees gray rock instead of brick or plaster. He scans his surrondings. He’s in the Batcave, how did he he get in the Batcave? He glances down and his eyes widen. Lifting the blanket on top of him reveals he’s naked except for the boxer briefs he’s wearing and the bandages around his waist. Horrified he brings a hand up to his face and relaxes slightly when he feels his mask there instead of skin. 

“Well good morning there sleepy-head.” Nightwing strolls in carrying a white mug. “Though after the beating you took you definitely needed sleep.”

Tim looks at him unsure what to do before asking what happened. Nightwing moves the rolly chair next to the med bed Tim’s in and sits down before handing Tim the cup. 

“Don’t worry,” he says smiling. “It’s not drugged. You have enough drugs in your system as it is. What happened was you decided to fight a lot of people and from what Penguin’s men say you did it pretty well, until you got sliced by a knife that happened to be laced with one of Ivy’s poisons. We’re still piecing together whether Ivy is working with Penguin or if that particular criminal had just purchased it from her. You’re lucky Red Hood managed to get you here in time to inject an antidote. It was easy to inject it into your neck, but taking care of the stab wound in your side, right above where you got sliced, that we needed the suit off for. The stab didn’t hit any organs though, to be honest either you managed to dodge most of it in your poisoned haze, or the person who attacked you had some terrible aim.”

Tim hears a motorcycle, both he and Nightwing look towards the other side of the cave where Red Hood pulls in and parks. Nightwing continues talking. 

“We tried to take the suit off, checked for booby traps and such. No matter how hard we tried it wouldn’t come off. It’s a good thing I managed to convince Batman to let me call Zatanna in. When she started disabling the spells on your suit she told us she hadn’t had a challenge in a while. Once we managed to get the suit off she asked about the mask. When she tried to get it off she couldn’t. At all. Couldn’t even get it loose. That’s some serious spell work you’ve got on your mask lil’ bird.” 

Tim raises an eyebrow at lil’ bird when Red Hood walks over and talks. 

“He’s fond of nicknames. I’d get used to it, they tend to stick.”

Nightwing huffs then turns to Tim smiling wide. Tim can’t see behind Nightwing’s white lenses but he’s pretty sure that for lack of a better description that Nightwing’s eyes are dancing with mischief. The smile at least is. 

“You’d never guess it little bird, but big red panicked when you started foaming at the mouth. You should have heard him. I’m sitting there doing regular patrol when over the coms I hear him panicking saying that he’s got Black Bird and that Black Bird’s down and foaming. Then after I rush here I see him doing his damndest to take off your suit. Batman sent him to patrol with Robin. You should have seen Spoiler though. Batgirl had to restrain her from going to the GCPD and beating the hell out of whoever sliced you.”

Jason snorts. “I obviously didn’t panic if I managed to get him here and run blood tests to adminster an antidote, all of which I did before either you or Batman showed up.”

Tim thinks Nightwing just rolled his eyes before he turns to Tim and stage whispers “Big red just always has to look macho. I think he was afraid Spoiler would kick his ass if you died on him.” 

Red Hood ignores that and turns to Tim. “Who the hell trained you? Even after your sorry ass was on the ground being strangled you kept trying to fight. Do you even remember the last minute before you went down? Because I was there for them and holy shit kid. You were woozy obviously but you kept knocking people down and out. It was automatic.”

Tim shrugs smiling slightly. He can’t exactly tell them that Lady Shiva and Pru are responsible for that. 

“It’s a good thing Hood found you.” Nightwing looks serious and Tim feels the urge to hug a pillow and hide himself. “If he hadn’t you’d probably be dead. Times like those it’s nice to have people backing you up. It’s nice to have a team. Batman’s been thinking about maybe letting you come on patrols with some of us sometimes and training together occasionally. It’s the first steps to becoming part of the team.”

“I,” Tim starts looking down and back. “Thank you for the offer but I like working alone. I’m better off by myself.” 

“Like last night when you got stabbed and poisoned?” Sarcasm drips like honey off of Hood’s words. 

“And I’m thankful but I’m honestly better off alone.” 

“You’re just afraid that with the prolonged contact we would find out who you are. My grandfather works with those who use magics. I’ve only seen spells like the ones on your mask when someone is trying to hide something very important or when they very dangerous enemies. Sometimes both.”

Tim swallows a reply that he’s met Ra’s al Ghul and that he’s the one who helped Tim master the spells. Not to mention that he has a weird obssesion with Tim but that’s not the point. 

Batman enters the cave behind Robin. And now here comes what Tim was waiting for. He’s either going to be threatened, scolded, or questioned. Before there was a chance Batman could ignore that Tim didn’t employ only human skills, now that someone as powerful as Zatanna has said that he actively has spells there’s no way Batman could ignore it for the sake of co-existing.

“I just finished sending Zatanna off. You’re lucky Nightwing convinced me to call her in.”

Robin purses his lips. “Just like Nightwing convinced you into giving the imposter a chance?”

“Robin!” Nightwing scolds. 

“Yeah sorry B-man,”Jason holds up a hand to get attention. “But if you don’t need me here I’m out.”

Batman waves him off before turning to Tim again. “Becoming part of the team means trust. And you’ve left unanswered questions. I don’t let meta-humans in my city, and now Zatanna says you have magic on your suit. You’re going to tell me who and what you are. Now”

“Never mind.”Red Hood gets off the bike. “This looks like it could be good.”

It feels like Tim is cornered, which he supposes he is. How does he get out of this one? 

Tires screech and a familar eggplant purple motorcycle breaks. Spoiler yanks her helmet off before marching over to Batman with a look of pure murder on her face. 

“How dare you! How dare you question my friends and not even let me know! I said that Black Bird is a friend! Isn’t that enough for you?” 

Batman starts some answer that would probably contain something about knowing all the variables and being sure and threats when Steph shouts. “ I don’t care about that! I do care about you trusting me and my judgment!” 

“Hey, guys we can discuss this without shouting.” Nightwing starts when Spoiler turns on him brandishing a finger in his face and hisses. 

“Don’t even finger stripes! I will get to you in a minute!”

Robin laughs. Before Tim’s eyes what looked like the end for him turns into what looks like something that’s a step away from a full out brawl. No one’s really paying much attention to him, although Red Hood has slinked over carrying something black in his hands. He puts it down on Tim’s bed and turns to him. 

“It’s a shame Batgirl isn’t here to see this, although she hates the family fighting so maybe it’s for the best. Normally I’d stay and feed the fire but well, desperate times. Here’s your chance kid, your gears on the bed, you grab it jump on the bike behind me and we run like bats out of hell. Deal?”

Tim considers his options. He could stay and probably get questioned while making the situation worse, or he could take a chance on Red Hood. He looks at Red Hood and nods making up his mind. 

Batman almost gets in the Batmobile to chase them but Steph pulls him back into the fight yelling that Black Bird is with Red Hood, he’s not exactly going to skip town. 

It’s when they’re zipping through the underground caves that Tim realizes that A) he’s almost naked, B) that he’s on the back of Red Hood’s bike, and C) that he’s almost naked on the back of Red Hood’s bike _with his arms wrapped around Red Hood’s waist._ The cold air feels good rather than icy after that. Tim just hopes he isn’t as red as he feels. Once they reach the surface and are in some forest Red Hood stops and pulls over. Tim puts on his uniform and feels reassured. It doesn’t look like they got into any of his pouches, and the spells are untriggered. 

He feels a little bit better when he gets back on the bike and hangs onto Red Hood again, at least this time he’s dressed. 

It’s almost dawn of the same night Tim got stabbed, his clock says so.Once they’re in the city Jason drives to an apartment complex and parks a bit down the street. “You can either run, or you can follow me into one of those rooms and answer some of my questions civilly. Nightwing and Batman weren’t messing around when they said they were considering taking you as part of the team. They just have an odd way of going about.”

Red Hood doesn’t wait for an answer and instead grapples to one of the building’s higher floors. Tim sighs and decides to follow him. Hood’s recording everything and this is one way of giving Bruce answers without revealing too much hopefully. 

They sit on a couch. It’s not a hideout of Red Hood’s, Tim knows that at least. Once they’re situated Hood asks Black Bird where he’d like to start. 

Tim considers before saying. “Magic. I can use magic. Most of the spells I use, when I do rarely use them, are pre-made. They’re stuff like charms that are made like recipes and just wait for an action or word to activate. I don’t usually use quick cast spells in the field.”

“What are quick cast spells? And what’s the difference between pre-made spells and quick cast spells.”

Tim tries to remember how his mother explained it. “Well, quick cast spells are like the name implies. They’re spells that you cast there in the moment. Pre-made spells are pre-made. Most pre-made spells are charms or jinxes, like amulets designed for protection or cursed dolls that you can give someone. There are two main kinds of pre-made spells, activated and un-activated. Un-activated spells are spells like the portal charm I used the night Scarecrow got out. They need an action or word or something and then they work. Activated spells are spells you put together and then they’re active from day one, like the spells on my mask. Activated pre-made spells are similar to quick cast sort of. But quick cast is stuff that you cast then, like summoning fire or causing an earthquake or healing someone. There are of course other types of spells but most fall under pre-made or quick cast. Sometimes they can fall under both. Oh, also pre-made spells are like potions, you use ingredients to creat them. Quick cast are cast with a saying, thought, or image, and they’re cast using pure magic and energy with your body as a conduit. Some people who use quick cast spells need a saying like the what the media depicts witches doing, with the whole double double toil and trouble thing. Some people just think what they want to happen and gesture to help it along, like thinking lets move that rock and the rock moves. The rarest kind of quick spell casters are those who use images. They’re incredibly strong because they only need an image of something happening in their mind for it to happen in the real world, often it’s automatic what they imagine happening. Image casters are normally those who fight, it’s a lot like trained fighters in that it’s not so much thinking exactly about what you want to do and what you’re going to do as it is acting and reacting.”

Red Hood nods taking this in. “And what kind are you?”

Tim thinks back to his mother, a cold as ice image caster, and how she smiled when he cast his first smile after she attacked him at breakfast for training. He thinks back to Lady Shiva’s training and how it sharpened his reacting in normal fighting, and how it unintentionally sharpened his spell casting too. It wouldn’t be smart to tell Jason just yet that he’s an image caster, and it’s easy enough to sometimes confuse thought and image casters. 

“I’m a thought caster.” He lies smoothly. He feels a little bad, but Batman distrusts him enough, he doesn’t need them thinking he’s some powerful warlock out to kill them on top of that. A voice whispers in the back of his head.Maybe you lying about this is why he distrusts you. “I prefer to use pre-made spells though if I have to use to any. All I have on my person are escape, healing, and trapping charms. The rest of my equipment is similar to yours and Batmans’.”

“Why don’t you use magic on patrol? It seems like it would makes things easier and safer.” 

Tim pauses, thinks. How much should he tell Hood about being Drake in the magical world? How much about how he is the magical world’s version of a boogie man to most, how he’s an almost one man police force? Tim likes to keep his personas seperated. As Black Bird he’s as normal as Gotham and Batman get with only occasional magic. He deals with the same patrols and mishaps as Batman and Robin would. As Black Bird his ten year old self lives out his dream of flying and helping people. As the Drake Tim is, Tim’s not sure what he is as the Drake. Some could call him the magical world’s equivilant of a vigilante but to be honest Tim has no idea what he is. Some fucked up version of a Winchester maybe. Janet used to tell him that Drake’s are dragons but Tim always thought it was a way of making him feel strong, a play on their last name, a way to fortify himself. He’s not exactly sure what the Drake’s are supposed to do. His parents weren’t exactly able to teach him much about his past and purpose in life. They were traveling around the world both for normal work and Drake work too much to give Tim a good base understanding of their history and purpose. Janet said she has books detailing their histories but Tim never looked for them before they died. And he never looked in their room after they died, it just felt wrong. A month after their deaths he started patrolling and met Steph. He learned some more fighting from her which came in handy both in Black Bird world and Drake world. Then when he was fifteen he went to Europe to stop a werewolf human trafficking ring. He met Pru and Ra’s after he spent most of his time there training with Lady Shiva as they hunted down the ring. She taught him how to use his bo staff. He remembers Steph wishing she could use magic on her patrols because then she could help Batman. Even Tim noticed that something had happened to Bruce and Dick was filling in. One night Tim put all the clues together and called in a favor from a time witch who brought Bruce back. No one except for the witch and Ra’s al Ghul know that it was Tim who brought him back. After that anytime Tim runs into Ra’s he’s called detective. And asked if he wants to join the league but Ra’s is an outlier in that he knows Black Bird is the Drake and vice versa and that beneath both of the mask is Timothy Jackson Drake.But the point is, Tim likes to keep his worlds seperated. It gives him some sense of normalcy and control. And it’s way easier to be Black Bird when doesn’t have to worry about Black Bird being attacked by those who have a grudge against the Drake and maybe having civilians get hurt in the cross fire. 

Finally Tim answers. “It’s just easier this way. Magical creatures are drawn to magic and other magical creatures. It would suck if I were trying to intimidate someone and I got kicked in the shins by angry gnomes.”

Jason’s laugh sounds robotic with the masks filter. “Yeah, that would suck. Then you’d have to kill everyone who saw in order to save your reputation. Don’t worry, I haven’t killed anyone in months. Spoiler and Batgirl held an intervention and convinced me to give it a shot. No pun intended. It makes family game nights a hell of lot less tense.”

Tim chuckles. “Somethings been bothering me though. How’d we go from you choking me for answers to helping me escape from Batman and playing nice in some random apartment? I’d think you’d still be angry at me for knocking you out.”

“Oh no, I’m still angry at you for slipping away and knocking me out, and choking me with your thighs, and for making me chase you across a rooftop with bruised ribs, Mostly I’m angry at myself for letting you get away. But Spoiler is a good person and she’s good at what she does. I trust her and therefore I somewhat trust you. Not to mention she’d tear you apart and she’s got Batgirl behind her and lets be honest Batgirl will fuck you up. I also figure I should be civil if we’re going to possibly be a team thing and I plan on sparring and training with you a lot. Can’t let you slip away again when I need answers.” Red Hood stands and pats Tim on the shoulder. “I’m calling it a day.” He walks towards the open window and swings a leg over the sill before turning to Tim. “Also, a neighbor called the police about a possible break in and you have less than three minutes before the cops get here.” With that Red Hood is gone and grapples down to his bike where he takes off. Tim resists the urge to rub his temples as he rushes out the window and grapples in the opposite direction of Jason. 

He starts making his way towards a safe house. If he’s lucky he might get two hours of sleep before he has to go to Drake Inc. Maybe he can convince Pru to reschedule his meetings and let him sleep. That would be nice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally have a general idea for where I want this to go oh sweet lord. Thanks for reading please comment if there are any mistakes or if you enjoyed it or have suggestions!


	9. Unscheduled Meetings and Ideas

Tim did indeed have time for the nap, and then some considering his alarm clock reads 10:30 instead of 6:00. He panics, struggles to get out of his blankets, which only results in him getting even more tangled in them and falling to the floor with a loud thud. Once he’s freed himself he reaches for his phone on his nightstand and calls Pru, an apology on his lips when she interrupts him. 

“Yeah Tim you must have really needed sleep if you can’t remember that you called me at four something this morning begging me to delay your morning meetings.”

Tim lets out a sigh of relief. Thank god for Pru. 

“I wouldn’t be relieved just yet. I was about to call you to tell you that an ass of a lavender stalk just rolled in from Metropolis wanting to talk to the, and I quote, young successful CEO of Drake Industries.”

Tim blanches then goes into overdrive. He picks himself up off the ground and rushes to the bathroom where he turns the shower on and starts stripping before questioning Pru. 

“How long has he been waiting?” “Like, maybe two minutes. He’s lounging on the seat like he owns the place. Great, now we have to burn everything and replace the furniture, maybe even bug bomb my office. I had just gotten the color scheme just right Tim, and now it’s ruined.”

“Tell him I’m running late. I didn’t know he was coming, wait, did he have an appointment? Please tell me he didn’t have an appointment.”

Pru scoffs. “No appointment. The great Lex Luthor doesn’t need one. Tim the other employees have been emailing since he walked in, it’s been less than five minutes and I already have people from HR saying they’re going to need to hire another therapist. The elevator attendant is apparently traumatized. I have to go, I think he’s looking through the magazines or something. Oh and Tim, let him wait.” With that she hangs up. 

Despite Pru’s insistence that Tim let Luthor wait he still rushes through he still rushes through his shower and quickly changes into an Armani suit he bought recently. He doesn’t have time for breakfast. Thank god for the pre-brew on his coffee pot, even if it is cold by now. He rushes out the door with his thermos full of cold coffee and into the Benz. 

Apparently even if Tim didn’t want to make Luthor wait longer, Gotham traffic had other plans. 

The highway reminded Tim of the time he had the flu, in that it was congested as hell and made him angry. 

“For the love of god! The left lane is the fast lane! Not the troddle along ten miles below the speed limit lane! I’ve seen tortoises move faster!”

Tim may have a slight case of road rage. This was just a mild day. 

After an hour and a half of being stuck in stupid drivers hell Tim finally pulls into the underground parking lot. He’s relieved to see people aren’t running from the building in screaming masses like they normally do whenever Luthor is involved. Although on the way up he does get a lot grateful looks and hears a couple whispered “Thank god’s”. 

The doors to Pru’s office are glass, along with what would be the connecting walls to the hallway which affords Tim a clear view of a stoic Mercy, a lounging amused Luthor (Pru was right, they would have to replace the furniture. Maybe he’ll invite everyone who survived this ordeal to a bonfire where they burn it all.), and an annoyed Pru. On the glass table in the office are what look like the remains of a pasta dish. Oh great, Luthor’s eaten. If he’s anything like Tim then they’ll never be able to get rid of him now. 

Tim puts on a smile and opens the door. 

“I’m sorry for being so late. I thought I had moved all my morning appointments and traffic was a mess.”

Luthor stands and shakes Tim’s outstretched hand. “It’s no problem and not your fault. I didn’t have an appointment. I was just in the neighborhood and thought a visit would do both of us good. I wanted to see how such a young CEO was doing managing a multi-billion dollar company.” Luthor looks around and gives the room an appraising look. “Obviously you’re doing quite well. And I thought your parents did business well. They would be proud.”

“Thank you. Is there a specific reason for your visit?”

Luthor laughs. “Like I said, just a friendly visit while I’m in the neighborhood.”

Tim raises an eyebrow. “Somehow I don’t think that’s all you’re here for.”

“Maybe not. If you don’t mind could we take this to your office so I can discuss an idea I have in detail?” Damn, now Tim’s going to have to burn his office furniture too. Or at least deep clean it. 

“Of course.” Tim opens the black shiny door to his office and holds it for Luthor. Unlike Pru’s office having glass walls, Tim has dark opaque ones, with large windows opening to an enviable view of the city. He couldn’t have glass walls connecting his office to Pru’s in case he ever has to come to his office as Black Bird. If he did there would be a chance of him being seen through the walls. 

Tim takes a seat behind his dark desk, not quite black but dark enough to be modern. At least that’s what Pru said. The chair he’s in is black though. Good to stick with the classics. Luthor sits in the chair across from him. 

“So,” Tim begins. “What’s the idea you have?”

“To be more precise it’s an idea and an offer. I make it my business to know about any rising stars in our branch of business. Your business has always been on my radar. Not many companys are able to compete directly against Wayne Enterprises like Drake Industries did while your parents controlled it. You, however, landed directly in my radar when you fought tooth and nail to become the CEO of your company when you were only 13. Of course the heads of your company weren’t going to let a child take over, but you did manage to convince them to give you an honorary seat on the board. Then you went to Europe for almost a year and almost disapeared off the face of the planet, except for a few appearances at social events over seas. Then you come fifteen years old and get a majority vote to become CEO. Not many my age who are experienced in business can do that, let alone a teenager. And yet, despite worries, Drake Industries has only gone up since you took control. You intrigue me. I think both of our companies would benefit if we began doing business together. There’s a party I’m hosting in Metropolis next week.I’d like to invite you personally. It would make a good show of interest if you went. I’ll even show you the sights Metropolis has to offer before hand.”

Tim’s blood freezes at the prospect of doing business with Lex Corp. He knows what Luthor gets up to. But maybe this could be a way to get inside knowledge? Even if he doesn’t do business with Luthor’s company he still wouldn’t be able to say no the invite, then he’d have to deal with Luthor bothering him until Tim crumbles and says yes. 

Tim nods. “I agree. Send me info on what time I need to be in Metropolis and where it’s being hosted.” The two rise and shake hands. 

“To future business.” Luthor says. 

Tim smiles as he walks Tim back to out to Pru’s office. “It’s been a pleasure.”

Mercy is waiting for Luthor in Pru’s office and they quickly leave. Once they’re out of sight and hearing range, even with Mercy’s adjustments, Pru snorts loudly. 

“If I never see him again it’ll be too soon.”

Tim shakes his head in agreement and leans against her desk. “We have a gala in Metropolis next week to attend. Luthor is sending more info about it later.”

Pru glares at Tim. “We? Why do you do this to me?” She throws her hands up and starts dialing on her phone. “Hello, George? Could we get some clean up please? Yeah the lavender devil has left. Finally.” She hangs up and turns to Tim crossing her arms. 

“I swear Tim. do you have any idea how much I want to punch him? And now I have to go to some party he’s probably hosting in _Metropolis_? It’s not even our city! Can’t I just stay here and hold down the fort?” “If something goes down I want to have someone I can trust and depend on there. You’re my second Pru, what happens if I need to tag you in and you’re not there?” Pru rolls her eyes. “Damn right I’m your second. I hope someone does try something. I need to punch someone after dealing with Luthor.”

A week later. 

Pru did get to punch someone. Many someones in fact. Ninjas led by Deathstroke crashed the party. Which is why TIm is now being carried bridal style by Superman after being thrown out of a window. Some explanation to what happened prior would probably be useful. 

12 Hours Before the Party Crashing Ninjas. 

“Are you sure we can’t just call in sick?”

Pru sighs and puts her tablet down. “Tim, you’re the one who gave a speech about passing through boundries and moving past problems for the sake of your company and the greater good. You are not quitting.”

“Thanks, Pru.” She continues. “If you did decide to quit and hide from Luthor after dragging me to this clean city hell, it would be your body coming back to Gotham and I would take over Drake Industries.” “Thanks Pru, definitely needed that.”

Pru shrugs and picks her tablet back up. “If a leader isn’t meeting requirements then death and replacement are inevitable.”

“Good to know. If I ever die I’ll try to point the police in your direction from the other side.” Tim begins to walk and forth thinking. Going to the party could be a trap. Odds are Luthor doesn’t know Tim’s Black Bird, not if even Batman doesn’t. But still, Luthor has surprised them all before. And even if it isn’t a trap for his vigilante persona, it could still be a corporate ambush for Tim Drake. He’ll have to be on his guard tonight, even more so than usual. 

“Tim.” Pru’s voice drags Tim out of his thoughts. “You’re going to wear a hole through the floor.”

“Sorry I’m thinking.”

“Do you want me to drug you?” Tim considers it. The party starts at nine and it’s eleven in the morning right now. He has ten hours of anxious waiting before it starts. He can’t even factor in travel time eliminating some of those ten hours because he’s housed in the same hotel that the party is being hosted in. Nor can he count the tour of Metropolis Luthor promised, if anything that’ll only increase his anxiety.

Both his and Pru’s heads snap to look at the door when they hear a knock. They look at each other and somehow formulate a plan with only eye contact and a couple of hand signals. 

Tim takes a seat on one of the couches and pretends to play on his phone as if he wasn’t just considering letting his assistant drug him while Pru puts on a smile and opens the door. 

“Hello Mr. Luthor. What a pleasure.” Tim can only hear the sarcasm in her voice from years of working together. 

“Hello Pru, the pleasure is mine. Ah, there you are Tim. Are you ready to see the sights my city has to offer?” Luthor steps inside the room, Mercy waits in the hallway. 

Tim cringes inside. Luthor is early. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be for actual sunlight. I’m slathered in sunscreen.”

Luthor chuckles and leads Tim to the elevator in the hallway. They fill the space with small talk. Tim wishes that Pru was with him on his tour. Instead she’ll be lurking in the background watching to make sure nothing happens. 

Mercy stands away near the elevator’s buttons. Tim doesn’t know what he expected. Luthor pretty much never goes anywhere without his bodyguard/killer robot/secretary/whatever Luthor needs. 

The elevator dings once they reach the ground floor. As the doors open Tim hears voices and sees camera flashes. Oh boy, the papparazzi and reporters are there. He knew that they’d be there, they always are. He can still hope though. He bets rumors the internet will explode with rumors before Luthor and he are even out of the lobby. 

Mercy steps out first, herding away the reporters. Questions are shouted and microphones thrust in their faces. 

“Mr. Drake! Mr. Drake!” 

“What are your affiliations with Lex Luthor?” “Do you have plans to go into business with LexCorp?”

“Is this in response to the merger proposed by Wayne Enterprises?” The last question draws Tim’s attention. The proposed merger isn’t mainstream information just yet. Where’s the reporter who asked it? Tim searches until he finds the reporter. Although it’s more that the reporter found him. 

“Hello Kent.” Luthor’s voice drips with honey. 

Tim looks between Luthor and the tall, blue eyed, raven haired reporter. 

Fuck. Superman’s here. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is really late, I found out I'm moving a lot sooner than I thought I would be (in two weeks) so I probably won't update much for a bit. For being so patient you all get two chapters on the same day! If you liked this fic please let me know.


	10. Inwardly Cringing at Luthor's Poor Color Choice

Of course Superman is here. His alter ego is a reporter and he lives in Metropolis. Frankly it would be worrying is he wasn’t here. 

“Clark Kent with the Daily Planet.” Clark holds out a hand and Tim shakes it. 

Luthor sighs. “You’ve given him your attention. Now you have to answer his question. Or at least artfully avoid answering it. Kind of like a dejected dog finally receiving some attention, he just won’t stop following and pestering you.”

Clark ignores Luthor’s jab and repeats his question. 

“Are you associating with Luthor and LexCorp in response to the merger proposed by Wayne Enterprises?” Tim leans his head to the side and looks at Clark’s eyes. The glasses really do do a good job of dulling how blue they actually are.

With Tim’s head tilted and the smile on his face he just looks like an amused rich kid. His expression gives no mention that Tim is analyzing Clark and the situation in a way akin to Batman’s own thought process. 

It’s not that big of a surprise that Clark knows about the merger. He probably keeps an ear out for anything to do with Bruce, his family, and his company. But Clark doesn’t know that Tim does know about Clark’s identity and powers. which means that he has to at least ask how Clark knows about the merger. Which he does. 

Luthor feigns a laugh. “I’ve been trying to figure out how he knows these things for years. He always gives me the same garbage answer.”

Clark glances at Luthor this time but other wise ignores. “I have my sources. Now about the merger?” The other reporters seem to get even closer. This is front page material after all. At least ten people are recording this and more are paying close attention while scribbling notes. 

“No, this is not in response to the merger Wayne Enterprises proposed. Drake Industries has always been a company standing by themself. I want to keep it that way, like my parents did. But just because Drake Industries has no interest in merging doesn’t mean we have no interest in not doing business with other companies and possible joint projects.”

“So are you here to sign a business deal with LexCorp?” Tim smiles wider. “Not at the moment, no. Maybe business between Drake Industries and LexCorp is an option in the future, as I hope business between Drake Industries and Wayne Enterprises will be an option.”

“Are you aware of Bruce Wayne’s feelings towards LexCorp and his stance on never doing business with LexCorp again?”

Tim nods. “Yes I am aware.” “Do you favor a side?”

Tim shakes his head. “No, Drake Industries does not favor either side. We are a neutral business that is only looking out for the welfare of our customers and employees.”

“And you? What does Timothy Drake think about this?”

“Let’s put it this way. If this were a pH scale and Wayne was acid and Luthor was base, would be 7 because I’m neutral.”

A couple of people laugh. Pru groaned at that joke when Tim ran it past her. 

Tim looks at his watch and raises his eyebrows. “I’m sorry but I’m afriad I can’t answer any other questions. Luthor has a big day of sight seeing planned and I’d hate to ruin his plans.”

Clark inclines his head. “It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Drake. Thank you for answering my questions.”

“Same to you Mr. Kent.” Even as they leave more reporters shout questions. Tim knows Clark will be listening in on them all day for info. Fantastic. 

Luthor takes Tim to all of Metropolis’s sites. Everywhere they go people turn their heads and gossip. Even Luthor’s car draws attention. A purple limo isn’t exactly subtle. 

They stop for lunch at an upscale restaurant near the business district. Of course the host sits the, at a private table in the back. Tim knows Mercy can watch both the restaurant and Luthor from where she’s situated at a table behind them. There are three nearby exits. Four if you count the windows. 

Tim orders a caesar salad, Luthor orders a chicken dish. They discuss the sights and tour so far, what Tim enjoyed the most. The conversation ends up drifitng to what happened with Clark Kent. 

“What did you think of the reporter this morning?” “Kent?” Tim pauses thinking. If Clark wasn’t listening before he is listening now that he’s heard his name. “He does his job well. I’ve read a couple of his articles. They’re written well. I do wonder though how he knew about the merger. I may have to reconsider my staffing.”

“He always knows non-public information. Whenever anything happens he’s the first one there. I have a hypothesis that he’s friends with Superman. 

Hah, if only Luthor knew. Clark must have a hell of a time listening to all of Luthor’s hypotheses. 

“Wouldn’t that be funny.” Tim says. 

“One thing we do know is that Bruce Wayne is friends with Batman. No guesswork there. He’s funding the man for god’s sake. For all we know he probably is Batman.”

Ah hell. Does Tim agree or defend his childhood heroes identity?

Tim makes a decision and snorts loudly rolling his eyes. “I doubt it. Batman goes toe to toe with geniuses on a nightly basis. Wayne has the I.Q. of a horny clam. If it weren’t for Lucius Fox his company would have crumbled by now. His kids are even worse.”

Lex raises an eyebrow. “Oh?” “The eldest, Richard, runs away from his responsibilties. He might not party as much as his adopted father but he still acts wild. He at least can carry a conversation, which makes it even worse. He’s a bunch of wasted potential. The youngest son is a literal demon. He’s a scowling brat when he’s not emulating his father. I don’t know much about Cassandra. She travels a lot, I can’t blame her. The only one you could say I like is Stephanie, and that’s because we went to school together before I left.”

“Do you interact with any of them?”

“I try not to besides Stephanie. Although she’s been inviting me to more of their events lately. Sorry for the outburst. I just get angry when people run from their job or mess around”

Luthor says it’s no problem and the conversation once again turns to small talk. 

The rest of Luthor’s tour is uneventful and even peaceful dare Tim say it. Luthor drops Tim back off at his hotel room around 7. Pru creeps in through the window after Luthor has left. 

“So how do you think Wayne would react if he found out you called him a horny clam?” Tim laughs. It’s not an ‘if’ Bruce finds out, it’s a ‘when’. But both Pru and him know it’s more likely than not that Clark is still listening.

“I’d probably have hell to pay the next time Steph invites me over. I should message her. I think she’d get a kick out of it.” An idea of how not to have Bruce hate him more comes to his mind. “Although the things I said at lunch were really bad. Kind of wish I didn’t say them.” Pru looks at him slightly confused then understands and nods. “Then why’d you say them?” “Because I don’t want Mercy to skin me alive. I honestly don’t know how I spent the entire day with Luthor without punching him or something. And now people think Drake Industries stands with LexCorp. It’s good for us though, in the long run. I don’t plan on doing much trade, if any, but joint research, I’d agree to that. I hear LexCorp’s cloning and cell regeneration programs are years ahead of ours. It’d be good to keep an eye on them. Anyways, how was your day Pru?” Pru laughs and collapses on the couch. “What day? Following you around? Get me some water while you’re up. You’d think following Lex fucking Luthor around would be interesting! Instead I got to crawl around bored while you took the city tour. Mercy almost saw me at lunch, that at least was somewhat interesting. I’ll give it to Luthor, he picks his security well. Remember how many bugs we found in here?” “Jesus, they were everywhere. I’m paranoid we missed one and he’s listening to us right now.”

“Well if we did miss one then were fucked.” She downs the water and sighs. “I really don’t want to go get ready for the party.”

Tim looks at the watch on the wall. “We have enough time for me to do your makeup. Come one I want to try this new baking technique.”

Pru groans and gets up. “Alright Tim, make me pretty.”

 

Tim is really proud of the way Pru looks. The makeup goes well with the plum colored suit she’s wearing. They’ll see how well it holds up though at the end of the night. 

“Hey there beautiful.” Pru greets when she sees Tim’s finished getting himself ready. “You ready to go?” “Let’s get this over with.” They take the elevator to the giant ballroom on the top floor. An attendant takes their tickets and ushers them into said ballroom. It is beautiful, Tim has to give Luthor that. Instead of flashing cameras and shouting questions the reporters are mingling with the guests. 

Luthor finds them fast enough and introduces them to a couple of his guest, then leaves citing host responsibilities and telling them to enjoy themselves. 

For the first couple of hours Tim and Pru actually are enjoying themselves. Then someone in the clouds apparently said Fuck you Timothy and all hell broke loose. 

Deathstroke crashed the party along with a dozen or so ninjas. 

Tim can’t see where Luthor is from his position pushed against the wall by the other party goers in their need to run. 

But what the hell is Deathstroke doing here? And with what looks like ninjas from _Ra’s al Ghul?_

It’s a mess of screaming and shouting until Deathstroke shoots a bullet into the ceiling. That gets everyone quiet pretty fast. 

“I’m here for Timothy Drake. Where is he?”

Oh wonderful and Deathstroke is here after Tim. Tim looks to Pru on his right. She makes the sign for ‘Spells’ and Tim nods. She looks around then makes a face as if regretting what she’s about to do. She looks at Tim and inclines her head towards Deathstroke then disapears into the crowd, probably for a better place to cast spells. 

Tim doesn’t have to push people aside, they part for him like the Red Sea. Deathstroke notices the movement and watches Tim step forward. 

“I’m Timothy. What do you want?”

Deathstroke considers him for a second then speaks.

“You’re coming with me.”

“Why?” Deathstroke doesn’t answer, instead he nods towards two ninjas who grab Tim’s arms. 

This is Luthor’s party, where is he? Better yet where’s Superman when you need him? He should have been here the moment he heard screaming. 

As if someone has finally heard Tim Superman appears. 

“Deathstroke release him.”

“This does not concern you Super.”

“It does concern me when it’s crime in my city.” They both tense for a fight. Tim really wishes he was in his uniform right now. He’s not sure what happens but a loud bang sets everyone off. People start running for exits and glass shatters over head. The ninjas holding Tim start hauling him off and he resists. He sees Pru kicking ass and taking names as usual across the room. Should he fight the ninjas and chance someone seeing it or let them take him where ever? 

He decides to wait until they’re in a semi covered area, then he jumps and twists throwing the one on the left into the one on the right. To their credit the ninja on the right doesn’t let go, he does let go though when Tim traps his other arm and kicks. 

Once he’s freed Tim starts looking for Pru again. He hears gunshots and ducks feeling air whiz over his head. The window he’s in front of shatters into pieces. Someone was shooting at him? Or the window?

Deathstroke marches forward and hauls Tim up. 

Deathstroke says nothing before throwing Tim out of the window and down towards the busy traffic. 

Air whistles past him as he falls and flails. All Tim can think is Damn, should’ve brought a suit. Even if he had one it’d be hard to explain surviving this unscathed. 

A red and blue blur falls along him and then he feels warm arms around him. 

As if being thrown out of a window wasn’t bad enough he’s now being carried bridal style by Superman. He supposes it wouldn’t be that bad. except that he was _just thrown out of a window and is now being carried bridal style by fucking Superman._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you like the fic.


	11. Tim Really Needs to Stop Passing Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I've been rereading my stuff and I said Tim goes off to Europe at 15 which is wrong he went closer to 13 14 and Jason didn't die at 13 he died at 15. I really need to start keeping my timeline notes together

“Are you alright?” Superman asks as he flies TIm down. 

Tim sits slack-jawed and kind of horrified before the gears in his brain decide that hey we should probably do something and start turning again. 

“I’m fine, um. Thank you for saving me?” On the inside he kicks himself. Really Tim? Um thank you for saving me is the best you could come up with? 

Superman grins as he gently lets Tim down to a standing postition on the ground. EMT’s and police are waiting for him. 

“No problem, it’s my job. Stay with the police and get yourself checked up, okay?” Superman waits until Tim’s nodded to leave and fly back up to where the party was. Wow Steph is right. Superman is a really good guy. 

An EMT guides Tim over to an ambulance and begins giving him a quick exam for injuries. 

Okay, Tim, chill relax. Superman’s here you don’t have to step in, you don’t even have a suit or anything. You’re more likely to be dead weight than any actual help. 

Despite the facts Tim still feels antsy and like he should be doing something to help. He hopes none of his thoughts and concerns show through his expression of a rich boy whose just been thrown out of a window. On the bright side if anything does show it can probably just be written off as shock. 

“Hmmm.” The EMT shines a light in Tim’s eye while holding the skin around his eye. HEr eyebrows furrow. She shines the light in his other eye and shakes her head. 

“What’s wrong?” Tim asks. 

“Oh nothing. I could’ve sworn your one pupil looked like it was a slit when I checked. But it’s not and the other one is fine. Sorry if I alarmed you. It’s been a long day.” “You’re fine. Does stuff like this happen often here? Not the eye, the assassins crashing parties thing.”

The EMT smiles. “Something that involves Luthor and Superman that requires medical personal? About every other week.” 

Another paramedic calls her over to help with someone who’s far worse for wear than Tim. 

God. Did these people get hurt because of him? And who called a hit on him by Deathstroke of all assassins? Whoever ordered the hit must have money or power. Most likely vast quantities of both and then some. 

Two police officers walk over to ask Tim about what happened and who he is. When they find out who he is they exchange a look and the shorter of the two leaves. He’s back soon though with more officers. An older woman that kind of reminds him of Commissioner Gordon. The woman steps forward and greets Tim. 

“I’m Commissioner Farrace. From what we understand it would be best to put you under our protection for the moment until we can straighten this out. If you don’t mind Mr. Drake I would like my officers to escort you to the station in order to insure your safety.” Oh boy. Protective custody. Makes sense, he supposes. Everyone did see Deathstroke go after him. 

“Wait, my assistant Pru was in there. I haven’t seen her. She has a shaved head, darker skin. She’s wearing a purple suit.”

An officer nods and writes it down. Then they help Tim into a car and drive him to the station. To be honest Tim had always thought he was going to wind up at a police station one way or another. He just thought it was going to be because he had gotten arrested or something. 

 

Tim ends up spending the night there. Pru comes in singed and smiling around three in the morning. It isn’t until six that Luthor shows up with Mercy behind him. He apologizes profusely for what happened saying he hoped this wouldn’t affect their working relationship and that he had no idea any of this was going to happen. Tim doesn’t believe a word of it. Finally after an hour Luthor leaves claiming that he’ll find out the truth of what happened. 

Pru watches while Tim dozes for a while. He snapped out of his sleep when a very harried rookie officer (there’s always a look to them. One Tim learned to recognize when he learned that they’re the easiest to sneak around normally.) walks in holding a cell phone. 

“It’s for you.” He says and thrusts the phone into Tim’s hands.

Tim can’t even get a hello out before he jerks the phone from his ear and prays his hearing will recover. 

Across the room Pru smiles at the shouting coming from the phone. “Tell Steph I say hi.” It’s a couple of minutes before the shouting quiets enough for Tim to put the phone back to his ear. “Hi Steph. Pru says hello.” 

“Timothy Jackson Drake I swear to fucking god. I told you not to go to the party, Pru told you not to go the party. And yet you went to the fucking party and got attaked by fucking ninjas! Your stupid ass could’ve gotten killed! You would’ve deserved it after not listening to us! It’s not enough that you come close to death almost every die in Gotham, now you have to do it in Metropolis too? This is not what I meant when I said expand your horizions!” “Don’t worry Steph, I’m fine. Besides if my stupid ass died then who would paint your toenails?” “Whatever. Just don’t do it again punk, or I’ll be the one attacking you.” “Wait, Steph, how did you get the phone number of some cop? No one’s even supposed to know I’m here.”

“Tim. Are you really asking me that?” 

She has a point. They talk for a while until Steph has to leave. 

Eventually around noon Commissioner Farrace comes in and tells Tim they didn’t catch Deathstroke. No surprise there. 

Tim bullshits his way out of more protective custody. It takes a bit but in a hour Tim and Pru are on the private jet back to Gotham. At least now Tim has a plausible excuse not to do business with Luthor and LexCorp. 

 

He grunts in pain after being thrown into a wall. Not just slammed, not pushed, not straight up _thrown into the wall from across the room._

His vision blurs and he really wishes he was wearing the helmet from his bike. 

Clawed feet click on the cement floor as they approach Tim. He looks up to see the Sorceress lick her lips with a pronged tongue. 

“I’ve got you now my Black Bird.” The lion Sorceress launches herself forward, her teeth and claws bared. Tim barely manages to dodge and even then she manages to slice the arm of his suit.

She brings a single claw with red on it up to her lips and licks it. Tim clenches the bleeding arm attempting to staunch the flow and not stagger. She smiles an ugly, pointy grin. “You taste like a dragon I once devoured. Fascinating.” Tim knows that he might have pushed himself a tad far when all he can imagine is Spock in her place, intoning a deep “Fascinating” while tasting his blood. 

He needs to find a way out. She’s already disabled all his pre-set spells. Even his mask is only hanging on due to glue now. 

“This is what happenes when little birds stick their beaks into other people’s business.” She brings an arm back preparing a spell with a mad gleam in her eyes. 

Tim reacts without thinking. The Sorceress is thrown against the wall and gasps as her back crunches then she doubles over straining for air. He tightens his grip when she struggles and attempts to disable his magic. 

He considers her for a second. There isn’t exactly an Arkham for magicals. At least not that he knows of. He knows that it’s bad to be enjoying this but honestly it feels good to use free magic like this. He hasn’t used used magic like this in a long time and it feels like stretching a muscle. 

Tim motions with his hand and the Sorceress stands up straight even as she still struggles for air. The hate in her eyes would make him flinch, if he wasn’t used to it. 

He could kill her. He could just end her and be done with it. He wouldn’t have to worry about her causing trouble again. She wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone again. 

Unless of course she’s spiteful and becomes a vengeful spirit, in which case all bets are off. Tim sighs and loosens his grip coming back to himself. Even if she didn’t come back as a spirit Tim still doesn’t have the right to decide that someone deserves to die. If he crossed that line then he’d be as bad as her. 

Questionable morals moment aside, there’s still the problem of what to do with her. There’s nowhere to lock her up. He could lock her in some enchanted cave but that takes a lot of work and is normally reserved for more powerful beings. 

He decides to try to bind her powers. Afterwards he leaves her there tied up. Without her powers she looks human and the police can deal with her like they would any normal criminal. He just hopes no one in jail unbinds her. Or that she finds a way to get rid of his binding. 

 

It’s normal to see fighting at parties. It’s normal to see couples sneaking off and coming back rumpled and flushed. It’s normal to see under the table business deals even. It is _not_ normal however to see an occasionally murderous undead vigilante in a suit smooth talking sweet old grannies. Credit this is the upper crust so they’re probably as power hungry and blood thirsty as their children but still, it’s the idea of it, not the actuality of it. Just wait until the grannies have stopped flirting and the rest of the party gets a chance at Jason. Christ he’ll have them eating out of the palm of his hand. 

Tim can’t even ask Jason what he’s doing here. They only know each other as Red Hood and Black Bird. He can’t even introduce himself as a friend of Steph’s (Though Jason undoubtedly knows about Tim Drake) because to the entire world aside from those in the Bat family and the JL, Jason Peter Todd died when he was thirteen six years ago. 

Honestly though, Tim’s getting kind of annoyed of vigilantes always being at parties he’s attending. Don’t they have jobs to do? 

For the rest of the night Tim plays the part of charming guest while avoiding Jason like the plague. Of course he just couldn’t keep this up because nothing ever works out right for him. One of his boardmembers’ wife gets the idea to introduce Jason and him. 

“Tim, oh Timmy! Come here please.” Mrs. Smith really is sweet but right now Tim wants to fight her. She turns towards Jason. “Peter, this is Tim, Tim this is Peter. I thought you two would get along well! 

They shake hands. Jason’s grip is firm and he has a look in his eyes. Oh great, he’s probably remembering everything he’s ever been told or learned about Tim. And what kind of a fake name is Peter? It’s literally his middle name. 

“Hi Peter. Pleasure to meet you.” Jason laughs lightly. “ The pleasure is mine.” Mrs. Smith claps her hands. “Oh I just knew you two would get along famously! I’ll leave you to it, I better find my husband before he drinks a little too much and starts trouble.” She gives them one last look then winks at Tim and leaves. 

Is, is she trying to set Tim and ‘Peter’ up? Christ she is. And there’s no way that Jason missed her wink. Tim’s face heats and he hopes it’s not as red as it feels. 

“Enjoying the party so far?” Jason asks smiling broader than before. Clearly the bastard is enjoying himself. 

“Oh yeah it’s great. The band is wonderful. Are you?” Jason shrugs. “Parties like this aren’t normally my kind of thing, but this one is nice. The people are really friendly.” They chat for a bit until one of the really ‘friendly’ guests snatches Tim up for a dance. Tim notices the glance the guy gives him before draggin Jason away. With nothing better to do Tim decides to mingle. He doesn’t spend too long with any group. He’s preoccupied thinking about what Jason is doing here and what it means. Who exactly is Jason trying to either get close to or get info on? The only times Jason went to galas and such was when he was made to as Bruce Wayne’s son, and he hated those. So he must be undercover and not just doing this for fun. But Jason and Red Hood have a more straight forward approach and informants. He doesn’t go undercover at things like this for info. Is he here as a favor to Batman? Or more likely is he working with Batman? That makes Tim worry. It’s odd that Batman couldn’t just come himself as Bruce Wayne and instead had to send Jason, who no one would recognize. 

People start screaming and Tim is pushed to the side as someone makes a mad dash for the door. Shit. Does Jason have a gun? Did someone do something or say something to him? 

“Where is he? Where is he? I can smell your magic!” A voice roars over the screaming. Through the crowd Tim can see the Sorceress he thought he had succesfully binded from last week. Shit, he screwed up. One part of his mind races through where he messed up while the other part focuses on a plan. First things first, he needs to get the civilians out of danger. 

“Everyone, head towards the nearest exit!” He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts. Thankfully people listen. Unthankfully his shout draws the attention of the Sorceress who snaps her head to look at Tim. 

Her nostrils flare as she inhales deeply. A cruel smile stretches her features. “Oh I’ve got you now.” 

Okay and now the second part of his plan. What is he supposed to do without a weapon and the possibilty of getting caught if he does magic? And more importantly, where’s Jason? He might get away with magic if it’s only some terrified drunk party guest who see’s him, but if Jason sees then there’s no way he can talk his way out of it. Maybe he can cast a fog spell and then a hawk or cat eyes spell.

The Sorceress begins stalking towards him. Tim backs up until his back reaches the edge of a table. By then it’s only him and the Sorceress remaining in the hall. Distantly he can hear sirens. Oh good someone’s called the police. If Jason hadn’t told Batman what was happening or that something was up and if Oracle hadn’t, then he definitely knows something’s up now. 

Quick as a snake the Sorceress strikes at Tim. Just like before he isn’t fast enough to dodge most of it. She mostly slices through his expensive suit and only sliced him at one part near his lower stomach. Even so his shirt is ruined and his torso and chest are visible for the world to see. Now he’s pulling a Captain Kirk. Something about this Sorceress brings out the Star Trek in him. And the Darth Vader, but that’s an issue for another day. 

A gunshot cracks the air and the Sorceress recoils hissing. Bright green blood is leaking from her right shoulder. 

Oh so Jason does have a gun. Good to know. Although he doesn’t have his uniform on. 

The Sorceress steps back and glances quickly between Jason and Tim.

Jason chances a glance at him. “Are you alri-” He cuts himself off as his eyes travel down towards Tim’s abdomen. At this moment Tim rembers that Jason has seen him naked and probably has all of his scars catalouged and memorized. Tim’s suspicions are confirmed when recognition crosses Jason’s face. “Son of a bitch.”

The Sorceress chooses this moment to throw something at Jason and leap at Tim. Tim tries to block with arms but even those she attacks. She sinks her teeth into his left forearm. TIm hisses in pain. Shit she’s got some sharp teeth. He manages to throw her off and Jason shoots. Though the bullets hurt it’s doubtful that they’ll kill her. 

Well, Jason already knows who Tim is. Might as well drops all bets and use magic. 

He manages to land a freezing spell. It sticks despite her fighting it every second it takes Tim to bind her once again. This time he makes sure that it’s permanent and calls on his ancestors to keep her binded, just like his mother taught him. There’s no way she’ll use magic again. 

The ex-Sorceress howls mourning her loss. The howls turn to cackles reminiscent of Joker that set the hairs on Tim’s arms and neck on edge. 

“It’s too late Black Bird. My father was a snake and passed his venom on to me. I may never do magic again, but you’ll never draw another breath!” 

That explains why Tim’s vision has started blurring, and why he feels dizzy. He had thought they were affects from such a powerful spell. 

Windows shatter and capes flash through the air. Oh look, the entire Bat family is here. How nice that they care. Even Nightwing managed to make it from his own city. 

Tim’s thoughts get even more sporadic and he starts to sway. 

Oh no, it’s Batman. How is he gonna explain this mess to Batman? He’s bleeding all over the floor. What’s Batman gonna think now? He has to apologize. 

Spoiler tries to step forward but Batgirl stops her. Instead Batman steps forward and continues until he’s less than a foot or two away from Tim. 

Tim blinks rapidly trying to stay awake and ignore the call of sleep and dark which is getting stronger. “Hi Bruce. Sorry about the mess.” Then his vision goes blessedly black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, and tbh the next one is gonna take just as long. Moving is a pain and the house deal hasn't even closed yet. Please let me know if you enjoyed reading this and thank you for reading this! Also sorry for spell errors but I'm too lazy to fix them and my spell check isn't working.


	12. It's Not Fun Waking Up From a Coma that Was Induced by Your Best Friends Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim wakes up, he talks to batclan, Bruce knocks him back out. When he wakes up again he talks to Dick.

Tim doesn’t wake up for a couple of days. It’s actually closer to two weeks. But when he does wakeup he knows he must be alive because his head is pounding and his mouth feels like cotton. Ah the joys of living. When he musters the strength to open his eyes, he really wishes he hadn’t.

Standing over him is Batman. Not like standing nearby, no standing _directly over him._ For one drug addled second Tim’s brain has the indecency to flash an image of the scene from Twilight where Edward is watching Bella sleep. Inwardly Tim shakes at the thought. Outwardly, he probably shakes a little too. It’s not as if _freaking Batman_ is standing over him. 

“I, how long have I been asleep?” Tim’s voice is scratchy when he speaks and it hurts slightly. 

Batman checks one of the machines attached to Tim, he’s waiting to reply. Maybe he won’t at all. Satisfied with what he finds Batman turns his head to look at Tim. “You’ve been in a coma for the past thirteen days.”

A snort revealing itself to be Steph’s echoes across the cave. “Yeah, a coma you put him in!”

“You put me in a coma?” Shit he’s been in a coma for thirteen days, god has his company crumbled? Did Bruce use this to plan a takeover? Or what about Luthor? No, Pru would go down fighting, but still the worry is there. She might have just said fuck it and put herself in charge. And what does the world think happened to Tim Drake? Do they think he’s dead? Missing? 

Wait, where is everyone? Where’s Dick and Damian and Cass and Jason? Did Bruce really plan a takeover? Pru would have literally gone down fighting, and she’s probably searched for him. Oh god Pru killed Bruce’s children, that’s why Steph’s the only one here. 

“Bruce, Bruce I’m so sorry you’re children are dead. It’s all my fault. Mine and Pru’s, but mostly mine! Oh god Cass probably took Pru with her. Oh my god Damian was so young, he was an ass but he was so young.” Steph and Batman look to Tim where he’s blubbering. Batman for once looks unsure how to proceed, Steph looks angry. She mutters something about there being so many meds in his system that he’s starting to hallucinate. 

“Tt. Why are we wasting time with this sniveling imbecile, Father?”

“Oh my god oh my god you’re alive!” 

“Robin, I told you to patrol with Nightwing and Hood. Did you skip out again?” “Relax B-Man, we’re right here..” Red Hood follows Robin out the shadows, sans helmet. Tim blubbers you’re alive. When Nightwing follows Red Hood Tim starts crying. 

“Why aren’t you patrolling?”

Jason cackles. “Pru’s search of the city for Tim has the entire underworld quivering. If anything happens Cass can deal with it. You know how she hates dramatic social interactions like this.” At that moment Tim comes up with an explanation for why they’re all alive. “You’re all zombies! And you,” he points at Jason. “You’re a double zombie!” Dick looks at Bruce. His expression very clearly communicates his question of ‘Just how many drugs have you given him?’ He asks it anyway in case Bruce chooses to ignore it. 

“Enough to numb a bull.” Steph answers for Batman. “Mr Dark Knight here didn’t want to chance Tim getting away.” The entire family looks from Bruce to a slurring Tim. 

“How is he still awake?” Damian finally asks. 

Steph throws her hands in the air wiggling her fingers. “Magic!”

“Wait, wait, if you’re all zombies, and Pru is looking for me, then, then that means that there’s a zombie Pru!” 

Jason is snorting, not in annoyance but laughter and Dick is smiling. It’s not exactly uncommon to have a drugged person rambling consider how often they get hurt, but Tim really takes the cake. 

The room is a little less tense then it was before. Then Tim tries to get out of his med bed. He attempts to pull his legs off the bed only to find resistance. Confused he looks down and pulls his blanket aside to see that, one he’s only wearing boxers, and two, his legs are strapped down at the ankle. 

“Guys, guys I have to go. I have meetings and paper work I need to do. What if the deal went through? I’ve been planning that for months, guys!”

No one moves to stop Tim’s struggling. It’s unspoken but they’re all thinking the same thing. There’s no way he could get those straps off and do anything as doped up as he is. 

“It’s kind of adorable.” Dick finally says. 

Tim scrunches his face and squints his eyes at Dick. “‘M not adorable. And this just won’t do. I have to make sure Pru hasn’t convinced Tam to rule the city with her.” It takes a minute but Tim comes up with a plan of action, his face brightening as he thinks it up. Smiling he bends down in two to reach his ankles where the straps are. He swipes a hand across the one on his left leg and the strap comes undone sliced in two. 

The entire family, minues Steph and Cass, jump and hold Tim down. Dick pulls Tim back up and lies him down, Jason holds Tim’s chest down, Damian redies another strap to replace the broken one, and Bruce readies a syringe. 

He injects it into Tim’s right arm, as he does so Tim lets out a long drawn out “Nooooooooooo Brooose. I have to go to work.” As he sinks once again into unconsciousness a thought pops into his head. “Oh, now that we all know we are, please let Superman know I’m very grateful he didn’t let me turn into a pancake. I don’t even like pancakes.”

Once he’s under those holding him back off slowly exchaning looks. Steph breaks the silence. 

“No more drugs Bruce. Get those out of his system, wake him up, and then we will discuss this like the responsible adults we are. You can’t keep him sedated forever.”

Bruce’s shoulders drop slightly. “You’re, right.” He says the word almost as if it pains him to be wrong. It probably does on some level. But doesn’t it hurt them all? 

Tim wakes up three days later without a headache thankfully. Though his mouth does feel dry. 

“Well good morning sleepy head, nice to have you back with us.” Dick is sitting in a chair next to Tim’s bed. His white smile is far too chirpy as if his voice. How Dick can be so cheery in the morning is beyond him. Oh wait, it might not be morning for anyone except for Tim. 

Tim tries to sit up and see if he can find a clock but his ribs protest movement. 

“Woah woah woah.” Dick places a hand on Tim’s chest and gently pushes him back down. “There aren’t any meds in your system to dull the broken ribs you’ve currently got. And before you ask you’ve only been out for three days. So all in all you’ve been down here for 17 days. And broken ribs take six weeks to heal. You know what that means Timbo?”

Tim really doesn’t want to answer Dick’s question. Dick answers it for him. 

“That means you’ve got 25 more days at least of resting. I don’t wanna see you move an inch mister.” He flashes another blinding smile. 

Tim closes his eyes and falls the remaining couple of inches to his bed. “I’m fucked.”

Dick tilts his head slightly to the side and studies Tim with dancing eyes. “Why do you say that?”

“Batman sends the nice one in when he wants something and he won’t get away with scaring it out of whoever his victim is. You’re the nicest one, the golden boy with a temper that not many realize. If the charm doesn’t work then the rapid shift from smiling friend to terrifying being that reminds you that you are indeed a son of the bat, works. Not to mention you’ve got the protective big brother thing going on. So, in a single sentence, I am fucked.” Dick’s laugh isn’t predatory as Tim thought it would be. Instead it sounds genuine. Warily Tim opens one eye to Dick smiling. It’s not fake. He can’t tell if that makes it even worse. 

“Yeah you’re a little fucked. I’ve got a question though. How long have you known our identities, and how’d you figure it out?”

Even though he knows it’s stupid and it’s better to just tell them most everything, Tim still has the urge to escape. Though that would only make things worse. He’d have the Bats after him and most of the Justice League. There’s no way Bruce hasn’t told the JL he has a possibly dangerous meta. Or at least told Superman and Wonder Woman. 

“If you’re asking, no Steph didn’t tell me. I knew before she was even on the scene. When I was younger, I went to a circus with my parents. My favorite part was the acrobats. I took a picture with you and your family. I asked you to perform a quadruple flip and you did. You know the rest of that night. A couple of months after, Batman had a Robin. One who could perform a quadruple flip, something only one person in the world could do now. It made sense, Bruce Wayne took in Dick Grayson as his ward, Batman gets a Robin who can perform the same tricks as Grayson. Therefore Bruce is Batman and Robin is Dick. Then, Robin left and Nightwing came with the same acrobatic abilities. A new Robin appeared and Bruce Wayne adopted Jason Todd. I, I followed you on rooftops when I was younger. I spent more time watching you then the Rouges. It started to fall into place. I never figured out who the first Batgirl was. I think I was close, but then my family, my parents told me something and I had to stop my nightly activities. A year later Jason Todd died. Batman lost it. Batman needs a Robin. I thought about filling the role, but my family obligations prevented that. One night I met Spoiler, she smashed my face with a brick. I knew she’d made a great Robin. Somehow I convinced her to approach Bruce about it. She became Robin, Cass became Batgirl. Cass left for Hong Kong as Black Bat. Steph became Batgirl. A new Robin came as did a new child for Bruce Wayne. Then, Batman dissapeared. You covered it well with Hush pretending to be him and you feeling in as Batman.” Tim paused and takes a breath.

“But I had spent my childhood running across rooftops watching you. I knew something was wrong. I heard about Batman dying, but I knew he wasn’t. I don’t know how but I knew. My obligations sent me to Europe. I trained with Shiva for a time, then I led the League of Assassins against some thing with the Council of Spiders. Don’t worry though I blew up their bases. Ra’s tried to get back at me, take down Drake Inc. That didn’t go so well for him and his weird obsession with me has only gotten worse since. I really should do something about that, but I digress. Along the way I found proof that Bruce was alive, trapped in time. I sent it to the JL and they brought Bruce back. I’ve rambled from your original question haven’t I? I do that when I’m nervous.”

Dick’s looking at him with this expression that Tim can’t place and he’s starting to get worried when Dick shouts. “That was you?! You’re the one who sent those files to the JL? They’ve been trying to figure that out since they opened them! Bruce has been trying to figure it out! This is gonna drive him insane! The unknown entity who sent Bruce back was the kid next door! And, you figured this all out at what age? You never said specifically.”

Tim looks down and whispers. “Nine. I was nine. I’d been following you since I was six . But it was only at nine I managed to figure it out.” Dick looks at him like he’s got two heads. “You figured out the identity of the Batman at nine? And you were following us for how many years? And we never noticed? That’s worrying. And your parents just let you got out at night?”

Tim shrinks into the bed. “They were never home. The housekeeper was there during the day a couple times a week to make food for me but I was mostly on my own. I let myself out.” 

Dick pauses and, and it feels as if he’s looking through the facade of Timothy Drake and Black Bird, as if he’s breaking through the layers to look at Tim. Tim doesn’t like it. No one needs to know about his childhood. That would be a bother. No, his childhood is lonely halls and star lit rooftops and it is _his. It is his and his alone to know_. 

He decides to change the subject before Dick can get to the quick of who Tim is. “Remember how I said I had issues finding out who the first Batgirl was? I cracked it when my parents died. I remember being told and then I ran. CPS couldn’t find me. GCPD put out a missing child alert. This was during the day, otherwise Batman would probably have joined the search. Then a cop found me hiding in the theatre,” It is unspoken and understood what theatre Tim is referencing. “I wound up at the police station. CPS was trying to find next of kin, not that I have any. The police were busy, there was no one to comfort a crying thirteen year old. Except for the commisioner’s daughter. That’s the first time I met Barbara. She was in her wheelchair and a cop tried to help her along. She almost broke his arm. That made me laugh. She held me and let me cry. Her hands were calloused, her hair matched Batgirls. And then she got a call from Dick Grayson. My theory was cemented and proven.” Tim pauses. Dick doesn’t talk. Tim swallows and asks the question that’s been gnawing at him. “What do you think Bruce will do? I really don’t want to bother him. I hope I’m not displacing any of you.” 

Dick can’t believe the kid. He just admitted to not only solving the mystery most of Gotham’s rouges couldn’t, as a child at that, and then talked of his parents’ deaths and figuring out yet another identity, admitted that no one was around as a child and he followed Batman and him and they didn’t notice, that he’s now in a med bed in the Batcave being mostly held against his will and he’s worried about _displacing them?_

He wants to question him further, get to the bottom of Tim’s childhood and what made him the way he is. And what’s with him talking about family obligations? His parents expected a kid to take care of that? But if he pushes further Tim might close up. He’d better wait and build a relationship with Tim. You don’t just learn a person’s experiences without some form of trust. Or intimidation and threats, but that’s not for now. 

Instead of pushing Tim to talk more about himself Dick sighs. “Well, if you really want to know. Odds are Bruce will watch you, keep you in the cave till you heal. Analyze you, figure out what makes you tick and put it in a neat little file. Then he’ll warn you off from being a vigilante, I don’t think he’ll threaten to turn you in, after all you know who we are. But he’s warned us all off and none of us really listened, somehow I don’t think you’ll listen either. Besides, most of the others started being vigilantes the moment they met Batman, you’ve been doing this for a while apparently and you haven’t gotten killed yet, so he’ll possibly accept you easier. Though there is the whole magic thing, he doesn’t like metas. You wouldn’t happen to know if you are one?”

Tim shrugs. “Mom tested my blood once when all the testing came out. She never showed me the results but she hugged me afterwards. So probably not.” Dick nods. “That’s a shame. We’ve tested your DNA seven times now and all the results come up inconclusive. That or they show a mostly human geonome with a section that the computer can’t place. Any tampering in your code when you were younger Timmy?” “My parents weren’t really home enough for that, and I don’t remember any hospitals.” “Any abnormalities?”

Tim thinks. He’s unsure of if Dick counts magic as an abnormality. According to his parents they’ve had it in their family as long as they could go back. Not having magic would have been abnormal. “My mom had to have a C-Section when she was pregnant with me. Does that count?” “Nah not really. Oh well. We’ll just have to keep running tests. But back to what Bruce will probably do. Like I said he’ll probably warn you off, lot of good that’ll do. Eventually he’ll accept you, you’ll know when he does because he’ll start testing you and pushing you farther. And you’ll probably find batarangs on your table or counter one day out of the blue. It’s not a threat. Harper thought it was one and she almost fought Bruce in front of Riddler. That was a good night.”

Dick takes a second to laugh before continuing. “But the man does have a thing for taking in orphans. You fit the bill to a T. No parents, blue eyes black hair, check. Penchant for kicking in bad guys teeth? Check.” He wraps one arm around Tim in a half embrace. Tim freezes and wonders if this is how his life ends but then he realizes this a _hug._

Dick notices. “Sorry, not used to physical affection? My bad, I’m a cuddler. Just don’t let Bruce scare you away. He’s not that bad. You’ll be part of the family in no time.”

Tim lets that sink in and thinks about. Part of the family? Could he really be part of a family? His parents were his family, though they never interacted the way all the TV shows said they should. There we’re no hugs and ‘I love you’s, only ‘harder, faster again’ and ‘Be good Tim, stay out of the way.’ He hopes Dick isn’t lying. What if it’s all a joke the former Robin is playing on him? And if he isn’t, if this isn’t a joke? That leaves Tim even more confused. Why would Dick be nice to him? Why would the family accept him? Why is Dick comforting and holding him? This matches nothing Tim has learned. In all his experience he can’t find a reason why. Maybe because he’s Steph’s friend?

It’s too easy to relax, to lean into Dick’s warm side. Too easy to trust. Tim can’t allow that on the off chance it is a joke. Like that time in middle school. But that was years ago and Tim has work to do. He reaches a decision. 

Having people to help will be nice, but he’ll remain on guard. It’s one thing to have Steph as a best friend after years of tentative meetings and dates, it’s another to suddenly be welcomed in a family after almost getting killed. 

Dick sees that something in Tim has changed. They switch topics. Dick enthralls Tim with stories of his time as Robin. Events that Tim had witnessed across rooftops. 

“So that’s why you looked so uncomfortable?You had a wedgie?”

Dick winces. “You have no idea how easy it was to get a wedgie in scaly panties with kicks as high as mine. Eventually Bruce found a way to get them to stay. I had to deal with a couple of wedgies first though.”

“Master Richard, if Master Timothy is peckish I have prepared a chicken broth.” Alfred is at the top of the stairs holding a silver tray. 

Dick turns to Tim waiting for an answer. Tim’s stomach decides now is its moment and it growls. Dick chuckles. 

“I will take that as a enthusiastic yes.” Alfred walks down the stairs, Dick helps Tim sit up and put pillows under his back despite Tim’s insistance he could do it himself. Alfred sets the tray on Tim’s lap. 

“I will return once you have finished to retrieve the tray. Enjoy.” Alfred leaves. He doesn’t offer Dick anything. Tim takes the first spoonful of soup and how on Earth does someone make something as simple as _broth_ taste like an experience? He turns to ask Dick but stops. 

Dick is watching him and while his body looks relaxed and at ease his eyes are too alert, too focused. It makes Tim uncomfortable. Is the broth poisoned? He offers Dick a cracker unsure what to do. 

“Oh no thank. Just making sure you’re eating enough. Bruce decided to weigh you while you were out. All that useful info he fills his files with. You’re a bit underweight for your height so I’m just making sure you eat everything. Also, speaking of weight. Steph is going to yell at you when she gets here. When Bruce calculated your BMI she yelled saying she was right and she’s gonna kick your scrawny ass right to Golden Corral.” “That sounds like her.” Tim finished the broth. True to his word Alfred returns for the tray. They exchange pleasantries before he leaves. 

How does he continue the conversation with Dick now? Dick seems content to analyze Tim and he actually was enjoying hearing Dick talk about being Robin. Finally after a tense moment of silence Dick speaks. 

“So you know magicians like Houdini and stuff and how they like stick swords in boxes and cut people in half? Well I was thinking and do you have any spells like that but instead you make the swords dissapear or actually cut the person in half? Because now it’s bothering me thinkings about how many magicians might actually have magic.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! On the bright side I'm writing the next chapter and oh my god guys so I found a playlist and it doesn't match the mood of the story but god it is so good and all of her playlists are good and they're musicals and I am screaming like they're so good and accurate and I cry. Here's one about Tim, you should really listen. http://8tracks.com/xxsweetgrassxx/i-ll-rise-above


	13. Alfred Bakes and Steph Has Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even the Batman fears when Stephanie Brown is angry.

No one else comes down until it’s an hour before sunset. Tim finally found a clock. 

“It’s so weird though like it’s bad enough when it’s a full moon but when it’s a Blood Moon it’s even worse. The Rogues come out earlier and earlier and it’s like everyone wants to try at taking over Gotham.” Dick enunciates his words with hand movements. 

Damian tuts and shit Tim should have heard him coming down the stairs. He was raised by ninjas but still Tim needs to better than that. 

“Still talking with your hands Grayson? Still bothering with Drake rather than suiting up?” Rather than waiting for an answer Damian not quite marches but walks a little louder than his normal silent glide, over to the gymnastics equipment and mat where he begins stretching. 

“Hey ‘lil D,” Dick ignores Damian’s icy passive aggressive greeting as usual. “Where’s Bruce?”

Damian looks up from his stretch just enough to look at Dick. “Father is assisting Brown with something. He should be down shortly.”

“What about Cass and Jason?” Damian rolls his eyes, though Tim doesn’t think it’s directed at Dick. “Cane and Todd are finishing up their ‘spa and shop day’ as Todd put it. They will most likely start their patrol from a hideout of Todd’s.” He returns to his stretching ignoring Dick. 

Dick turns to Tim and shrugs as if saying ‘What can you do?’

Tim will have to ask Steph when he can leave. He doesn’t want to ask while Damian ‘Hellspawn’ Wayne is here. 

Dick decides to continue their conversation about the upcoming blood moon. “It’s crazy though, last time we had one three different cults tried to sacrifice people and Ivy broke out to help her moon flower blossom and there was a thing with Killer Croc. It was a mess.”

Tim’s stomach tightens remembering the zoo Gotham was. He doesn’t tell Dick there were actually a lot more cults than three. He took care of them and there’s no need to brag. But it does remind Tim. 

“This one’s going to be even worse.” 

“Really?” Dick asks. “The meteorologists say this one isn’t supposed to last as long as the other one.”

Tim shakes his head. “They’re wrong.”

Damian scoffs and Tim really can’t blame him. It still makes Tim angry at being doubted, by a twelve year old no less. It’s not as if Tim’s magic or anything that might make him saying the moon will be longer more believable. 

Instead of giving into his urge to be sarcastic right back at Damian (good on you Tim you’re finally growing up whoo Steph will be so proud) he looks Damian in the eye. “I can feel it in my blood. You know how the city always gets worse on the full moon, how it draws out the craziest of the crazy? How the tides change and your pulse itches under your skin? Our blood is a tide to be drawn on by the moon just as much as the ocean. But the moon affects those with magic the most, those more atune. So Damian, do you have magic, do you hear voices whispering in your ear or feel fingers brush over you? Do you feel like bursting out of your skin and howling when that silver globe appears? Do the meteorologists?”

Something in Tim’s eyes shakes Damian, shakes Dick too, though they both do their best to hide it. (And damnit Tim you aren’t growing up at all, instead of sassing the kid you scared him.)

Damian’s scoff sounds weak even to his own ears. “I refuse to answer that mockery of science.”

That’s answer enough to Tim’s question. 

It’s quiet. Dick leaves Tim and begins stretching with Damian. They’re warming up for tonight. They’ll be patrolling, unlike Tim if Bruce has any say in it. 

Tim has nothing to occupy himself, and his ribs ache dully. He might as well do something about it. 

He closes his eyes and breathes in deep through his nose. Slowly he lets his mind go, his thoughts drift and disapear as he loses his senses and withdraws inside of himself. He catalouges his injuries from the inside. Soon his breath is the only thing he hears. He begins directing towards his aches and cuts. The cuts from the Sorceress are mostly healed, no infections. Tim beings healing them until they’re nothing but small white scars, barely visible. 

He moves on to his ribs and examines the very cracks in his bone. Those heal next, stronger where the breaks were. 

There is no venom in his system to remove, but there are ugly yellow brown bruises to take care of, soon those too disapear, leaving pale cream pale skin in their wake. 

Speaking of skin. Tim finds that even with the IV he is dehydrated. Soon the water molecules near him drift into his skin and his blood flows smoother. His father taught him that spell. Jack said it came in handy in the desert. 

All healed Tim begins to withdraw from his trance but. But it’s silent? The cave is silent? He can feel the weight of the blanket on him, can smell anti-septic, but he can’t hear? Why isn’t his hearing working? What if he’s lost it? What if he’s lost his sight too? Mother had mentioned people retreating in during torture and losing themselves. 

Tim opens his eyes preparing for the worst. No he can see alright. See the entirety of the Bat-Clan (even Cass and Jason dang it Damian you lied) looking at him with varying expressions. Wildly varying. And oh god they’re going to call him a freak and throw him out or send him to Arkham and what is he going to do? Damian’s eyes are wide as if he didn’t believe Tim had magic until now and sure it’s a big change to see someone who was covered in bruises go from bad to normal but still he should have seen Tim after the league when he tried to grow a spleen back (not that he could).

Bruce for once shows emotion. Surprisingly it’s similar to Damian’s, although there is suspicion and Tim can see his thougts racing behind his eyes.

Dick’s eyes are wide as Damian’s but his mouth is open slightly. 

Steph is next to Dick and she’s smiling, her eyes shifting from Tim to her family and oh she never told them about Tim’s healing. 

Jason is just getting out of a car driven by Cass, he’s dropped the shopping bags in his hands and he’s looking at Tim with squinted eyes and not specifically distrust but something similar to it that Tim can’t place and well, he really needs to get better at emotions if he’s going to be around them. 

Cass’s face is mostly blank except for a small smirk at the corner of her mouth. Steph probably already told her about Tim and his everything in the time he was out. 

“I know right!” Steph’s voice carries in the silent cave. “The first time he healed in fron of me he was bleeding from his head and freaked me the fuck out.”

Tim’s unsure of what to do now that most of the family is looking at him intently. No one moves and Tim sighs. “These aren’t exactly helping now.” He says as he takes out his IV and the monitors attached to him. He’s about to take off the heart monitor but Bruce stops him. 

“Wait, “ he says still across the cave. “Your heartrate changed, I need to mark it down.” 

That gets people moving. Jason fully steps out of the car and whistles. “That sure would have come in handy when I was getting my ass handed to me by a clown with a crowbar.”

“Jason!” Dick is glaring at Jason, and Tim. 

Tim laughs loud and he tries to cover his mouth to stop it but it doesn’t stop. Everyone looks at him and hah fuck. 

“I forgot to tell you all, Timmy has a morbid sense of humor.” Steph says dryly. 

Bruce stays silent but his eyebrows are furrowed looking at Tim’s vitals. “How is your heartrate so slow? Forty beats a minute?”

Jason whistles handing some bags to Cass who looks through them. “Damn Timmy, work out that often huh? Must be one hard working athlete.”

“Or magic. Magic works too.” Tim shrugs. 

Bruce finishes and disconnects Tim then turns the machines off. Everyone looks at Tim as if waiting for him to do something. 

“I’m not getting out of bed. I’m only in underwear and 1) who changed me? 2) I just don’t feel secure enough in our relationship for me to traipse around half naked, yet. Call me old fashioned but sorry.”

Cass snorts and hands him a bag. “Didn’t know size. Asked Steph. Hope she was right.”

Tim looks inside to find a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts. “Oh, thanks. I could have ran over to my house to pick some stuff up.”

Everyone looks away dodging Tim’s gaze. It falls on Dick to explain. He rubs at his naked avoiding Tim’s gaze. “Yeah about that,” he chuckles nervously. 

Jason decides to fill in. “Daddy bats decided to have us ransack the place searching for clues. Never took you for a boxer briefs kind of guy, and in Batman print at that.” 

Tim’s face heats and Jason went through his underwear drawer? One of his childhood crushes went through his underwear but more importantly. 

“You went through my house?!” Jason waves him off. “Not like we found anything aside from your bad case of hero worship.”

Tim looks at Steph. “How’d you let them go through my house?” 

Steph looks down. “It was a compromise. Bruce wanted to learn more about you and I voted against the mind reader.”

Tim turns to Bruce and the look on his face is Janet and it’s quite frankly a little terrifying. Hah, this wasn’t even his mother’s look when she ws really angry. 

“You were going to call in a mind reader?” Tim’s voice is hard. 

“Stephanie talked me out of it. It’s time to get suited and ready for tonight.”

Steph takes the chance to walk over and punch Tim in the arm. Hard. He’s pretty sure he can’t feel it. “You and I are going to have words mister.”

Dick looks up from the gymnastic equipment with even wider eyes and a look of terror on his face. He scoops Damian under his arm and darts to another section of the cave. Cass rolls her eyes but remains as does Jason. Bruce peers around and has doubts about staying during one of Steph’s ‘Words.’ Finally he reaches a decision. 

“You have fifteen minutes.” He leaves and power walks up the stairs to safety.

“Is it okay if I get changed before you yell at me?” Steph looks angry. “You got five seconds. Jason, Cass look away”

Cass turns away. Jason raises an eyebrow. “It’s not as if I haven’t seen him naked before.”

“It’s the idea of it.” Tim answers for himself. Jason shakes his head and turns away hands raised. Tim takes the chance to slip on the pants and shirt. “I’m done. Thank you Cass, they fit great.” “Not me, Jason.”

Tim looks at Jason in alarm. “You picked them. I didn’t, I didn’t expect you to, I don’t know.” Jason scoffs. “Have a good fashion sense? Jokes on you I’m the only one in this family with a sense of style besides black and disco in this family.”

“I take offense to that, I wear purple. And quit changing the subject Tim.” She takes a breath preparing her words. “Honestly Tim, what the hell? I go out and find things and people that try to kill me but you, you attract them! You end up almost dying pretty much every other week, it’s like you want them to get you! It’s like you go out and pick a fight and just wait for them to go after you! Credit, Jason tried to kill me a couple of times but we bonded from it! When people try to kill you you just make them even more pissed!” “To Timbo’s credit you did piss me off a couple of times I tried to kill you.”

Steph points a threatening finger at Jason. “You stay out of this! You at least are human.”

Jason shakes his head. “Eh, you could aruge I’m a zombie.”

Steph ignores that and turns back to Tim. “She bit you Tim! Which is fucked up enough but she had venom! You could have died because you are a magnet for trouble and you just shrug it off and go back out with bleeding ribs and sprained ankles! You’re gonna get yourself killed!” We’re both vigilantes Steph, we both get hurt. Death isn’t all that uncommon in our line of work.” “Yeah but you know what is uncommon Tim, you coming home unhurt! I think I’ve seen that happen maybe three times in the entirety I’ve known you!” 

“What am I supposed to do Steph? It’s better I get hurt than someone else!”

“And those people at the gala? They could have gotten hurt!” “And I was in my civvies, I didn’t want to reveal who I am.”

“To the running civilians or to the snake lady who _tracked you down._ That ship had sailed for her. And what are you gonna do about that? She’s up in Blackgate looking human and she knows who you are.”

“No she doesn’t. And for intents and purposes she is human. I wiped any memory of me and I bound her magic.”

Something falls to floor. Tim and Steph jerk to look at Jason who is looking at Tim. Cass is looking at Tim too but with no reproach, unlike Jason. 

“Sorry, just didn’t know the kid could do that. What’s stopping you from doing that to us?”

“Besides respect? You all have strong minds and I really don’t want to fight against all of your minds to erase memories of me. Not to mention while I’m busy taking care of one of you the others would probably get me. I have doubts though that I would ever get through Bruce’s shields though.” 

Jason still looks at Tim with distrust. Not that Tim can blame him. 

Steph sighs. “At least you don’t have to worry about her. And I know this time isn’t as bad as all that I said it’s just this time it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Just please be more careful, you can’t heal yourself if you’re dead.”

“If he does die he can join Cass and I’s club.”

“Jason!” 

“I’ll bring brownies.”

“Tim!” In the end she laughs too. 

“I promise I’ll try to be more careful.”

Steph nods. “Good. I don’t want to go through the process of making a new friend.” “Everything sorted out?” Bruce is at the bottom of the stairs. 

“Yeah we’re good.”

Bruce nods and walks to the section of the cave where Dick ran. “All clear!”

“Are you sure?” Dick answers back. 

“Affirmative!”

Dick walks out slowly with a hand holding Damian behind him as if to guard him from an attack.

“Hurry up and get patrolling.” Steph smacks Bruce on the shoulder. 

Tim looks at her. “Are you not patrolling?”

She rolls her eyes. “Bruce thinks you need to be watched for the moment, so I’m hanging back with you. Hey Bruce, now that he’s not stuck in a bed can we go upstairs and watch a movie in the theater room?”

Bruce considers it before nodding. “If you ask nicely Alfred might bake cookies if he isn’t already.” “Save some for me!” Dick calls after them. 

“Give me his!” Jason yells over Dick. 

“Hey!” Dick fake punches Jason. They play fight and it makes Tim happy. Happy and lonely. As if he’s missing something. 

Steph pulls Tim through the house to the home theater and points out different rooms as they go.Halfway through she decides to give him a tour. 

“And this is my room, that one’s Dick’s, this is Damian’s, and that’s Jason’s. Bruce’s room is down the hall. Then these are a bunch of guest rooms. You could stay in one if you want but I figured we’d just chill in my room. And this is the library, I can see the look in your eyes, knew you loved it. One good thing about having your identity blown I guess is you can now go to the library.”

Steph’s right, he loves it. He walks around it in a daze circling the giant shelves of volumes. He ends up in the back and there. There’s a corner with a chair in it hidden by shelves. He finds it as if it calls to him. He can definitely see himself reading in here.

Steph gives him a second before pulling back into the hallway and finishing the tour. They end up in the kitchen where Alfred is baking. Bruce was right. 

“Ah, hello Mistress Brown, Master Timothy. I wil have cookies ready in ten minutes. Popcorn has been popped and is already in the theater.”

Steph hugs him and kisses him on the cheek. “I swear you’re psychic Alf. Thank you!”

The theater is spacious. Tim’s been in this room at least, once before. Steph picks out a sci-fi movie that Tim never got the chance to see. They spend the time mocking the affects and acting. 

Alfred brings in cookies fifteen minutes into the movie. They’re as good as everyone says. It’s like eating ambrosia. Somehow Tim manages to convince Steph to save some for the others. It’s nice hanging out with Steph. 

Even if things are going to be weird now that Steph’s family knows who he is, it’s still like a weight has lifted off his chest. Now he can freely talk to Steph around her family, they can talk about their work. No more tip-toeing around pretending to be some rich boy friend. 

And there is the chance that earlier Dick was being honest. Maybe Tim can be part of the family. 

As planets explode and squid monsters invade on screen, Tim feels hopeful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's another chapter, posted on the same day! Whoo I'm on a roll pray for me so that it doesn't stop


	14. Possibly a Family, Tim hopes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of relationship building

Steph is sprawled on her bed drooling. Tim should be next to her but instead his insomnia decided to act up. At this point Tim can’t tell if it’s genetic or self imposed from his odd working hours. 

Either way it leads to him wandering down the hallway and to the other side of the manor where the library is. He slips in and shuts one of the giant doors behind him. The library stands as beautiful as when he first saw it. 

Tim takes a deep breath. There’s nothing like the smell of books. He allows himself a smile and begins browsing the rows of shelves. How on earth is he supposed to only pick a couple of books? Where is he going to find the time to read them all? Because he does plan on reading them all. The question is where to start. He wanders down an aisle packed with science books. He picks a couple about biology, then moves to another area about cars. He takes five from that section. Automotives are his guilty pleasure. Jason make be able to take the tires off the Batmobile, but Tim could take the entire thing. 

Tim goes once again to the corner in the back and tucks himself into the chair and desk. He starts with science. Those he finishes quickly. On to the automotives. Once he’s read one he needs another and soon he’s surrounded by books. 

He’s so involved in his book that he doesn’t hear the door open, nor the footsteps that appraoch him. Though odds are even without the book he might not have heard them. The bat kids are silent. 

A hand on his shoulder startles him and he almost jumps out of his seat but the hand keeps him down. 

Jason has a shit eating grin on his face. He must have gotten the reaction he wanted. 

“What are you doing up so late babybird?”

Tim scowls at the nickname. “First kid, then Timbo, now babybird? I’m 17, if anything Damian’s the baby. 

Jason shrugs still smiling. “And Damian’s almost taller than you. You didn’t answer my question.”

Tim puts a bookmark in the book and closes it. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Jason nods. He moves some of Tim’s books aside and sits on the desk. “Bruce checked in on you and Steph and almost had a heart attack when you weren’t there. Lucky Steph’s a light sleeper to tell Bruce to calm the fuck down and that you don’t sleep.” Tim sighs. “Thank god. I don’t need Bruce coming for me.”

Jason laughs. “It’s not Bruce you need to worry about.”

“Is that a threat?” “I was actually referencing Steph, but yeah I guess. After all I do have a reputation of shooting people. Least Daddy-Bats doesn’t kill.” His grin is all teeth and Tim raises an eyebrow. If Jason is trying to strike Tim with fear well then, it’s only making him like Jason more. Though it may also be the fact that Tim’s dreamt of that smile. 

Tim stands and stretches. “I guess that’s something we don’t have in common then Jason.”

“Really? I hear you deal with supernatural shit though? Never staked a vampire? Shot a werewolf with a silver bullet?” Tim fakes thinking. “Nah. Most monsters are just like people. To be honest they are people it’s just easier to classify them as monsters. They live like everyone else. The one who do bad stuff get treated the same as I do human criminals. I just bind their powers then send them along to jail.”

“How do you even bind a vampire? Or a werewolf for that matter?” 

“I figured out a cure. I just inject it with them then put a binding spell on them so it lasts.” Tim shrugs as if it’s no big deal he discovered a cure to vampirism and werewolfism. 

Jason just gapes at him. “So what you just stick them and dump them? How’d you even figure out a cure?”

“Vampirism is like a disease, it alters the cells and changes them. I just found a treatment that attacks the changed cells and turns them back to normal. Same with werewolfism. On the off chance the treatment doesn’t work I spell them so it sticks. Any other magic creature that can’t be cured with a treatment I just bind and send away. I wish there was a magic jail though, it would save me so much time.” “Yeah I’d think so. You know what’s even quicker? A bullet to the head and two to the heart.”

“Killing people isn’t right Jason.”

Jason shrugs and stands. “Can’t say I didn’t try. Alfred said you saved cookies for us. Thanks. There’s still some left if you wanna go get a three am just got off patrol snack.” “I’m surprised there are cookies left. I almost didn’t stop myself to save any, let alone stopping Steph.”

“Do you see why we fight for them now?”

“I would fight Satan for them. And with what I do that’s a very real possibility.”

Jason laughs. “Sure kid. You know, Dick sometimes calls me the devil. You willing to tussle punk?”

Tim looks Jason square in the eye (he tries to ignore the fact he has to look up to look Jason in the eye). “Always.”

“I forgot Steph said you’re five feet four inches of rage. If the demon brat is taller than you then maybe one day you’ll be angrier than him.” “Who says I’m not already? I could be hiding rage behind my sarcasm, and you don’t know this yet but I’m almost always sarcastic.” “Yeah I’ve gotten that so far.” They reach the kitchen and Jason flips on the light. He snatches a cookie from Tim’s hand and sits on the counter. “Don’t tell Alfred.”

“My lips are sealed.” Tim takes another cookie from the tray and leans against the counter opposite Jason. They’re silent for a time, enjoying the cookies. Jason breaks the silence. 

“You’ve got a lot coming up kid. It’s always a tense first couple of weeks when someone new arrives. Takes a while to get used to everyone. Though it looks like Dick’s mostly warmed up to you. Watch out for him, he’ll get you when you’re least expecting it and force you into a hug. He’s touchy.”

“And you?” “Me a cuddler? Nah .” Tim doesn’t tell him that Steph’s told him about what happens when they all fall alseep watching a movie. Or that Steph’s shown him the pictures. 

“Anyway’s, what I’m trying to tell you kid is, are you sure about this? We’re kind of a crazy family and you have a chance to run.”

“I might not be close with everyone yet, but Steph’s my best friend. I’ll stick it out for her. And the cookies.”

“Welcome to the family I guess.”

After they’ve finished the cookies they go back upstairs, Jason leaves for his room and Tim goes into Steph’s. He sinks onto the bed space that isn’t occupied by Steph. 

What an interesting day. Though he supposes it’s been two days now since it is almost four in the morning. What a nice idea though. Being part of the family. 

Tim falls asleep with that thought fresh on his mind.

“Tim, Tim wake up you’ve been in a coma for like almost three weeks I’m glad to see you sleeping just _not right now_.” Steph puts her hands on her hips and studies the curled up conumdrum in front of her. He’s one of the lightest sleepers she knows, except for when he’s in her bed. Then he’s a log. “Sorry Tim, you’ve driven me to this.”

With that she pushes him off the bed and onto the cold cold floor.

“Ahhh!” He flails in the air before thudding. “I’ve been shot, I’ve been shot!” “Shut up you dork, it’s just me.”

He looks up at her from where he’s tangled in sheets. The look on his face is pure betrayal. It almost makes Steph regret her decision. Almost. 

“Come on let’s go, Alfred made breakfast and we have to get there before they eat it all! Oh don’t give me that look. There’s coffee down there.”

“Mfrfm.” 

“Always so eloquent in the morning. I forgot how you are before coffee. It’s gonna be fun having four zombies at the table. Yes I’m counting you, you’re a zombie in the morning.” Steph at least untangles Tim from the sheets before leading him downstairs to the dining room where everyone is. 

They look up and almost all as one raise their eyebrows. “Is he okay?” Dick looks alarmed. 

“Mrfm fnn.” Tim tries to answer for himself. He tries to go to the kitchen but Steph sits him down and hands him a cup of coffee after pouring cream in it. He mumbles his thanks and takes a sip of it to see if it’s too hot, then continues sipping. 

The others look Steph. She smiles. 

“He’s not a morning person.”

“What an understatement Brown. He wouldn’t stand a chance if he were to be attacked.”

“True, true. Unless you go after his coffee.”

“What happens then?” “I don’t know, Damian, why don’t you try?” Her grin is that of a cat. Damian does not want to touch Drake’s coffee after that but, maybe she is baiting him?

“Fine, if you insist fat-girl.”

Tim has Damian on his ass in two seconds flat and not a drop of coffee spilled. 

Dick is out of his seat looking between Tim and Damian. Bruce is at the head of the table reading his newspaper. “You’re lucky Alfred isn’t here.”

Jason follows Damian to the floor when he tries to get Tim’s coffee. 

It’s an interesting coffee to say the least. 

“So what are your plans for the day magic man?” Steph slouches on the couch. Tim’s sipping his fourth coffee on the love seat. 

“I was going to try to slip into Drake Inc and make sure Pru hasn’t convinced Tam to take over the world with her. You think I’m joking but I’m not.”

Damian is looking at Tim oddly. “Pru? The name sounds familiar.” “Ahh does babybat have friends?” Jason says and Dick croons. 

“I’d hope it sounds familiar. She used to work for your grandfather. “ Everyone looks at Tim with wide eyes, except for Steph. Cass isn’t present. “Remember how I was talking about leading the league and blowing up Ra’s bases last night, Dick? I met Pru during that. She tried to kill me, League of Spiders tried to kill us both. She lost her larynx, I lost my spleen. Ahh memories.” Tim sighs taking another sip of coffee and smiles. Dick, Jason, and Damian are still alarmed. 

“And Grandfather has not yet killed you?” Tim smiles the smile of his mother when she remembered the moment she had closed in on her prey. “He tried.”

The room attempts to ignore the emphasis Tim put on ‘tried’. It does not work. 

“But that’s a story for another day. If it’s alright I’m just gonna slip next door to my house 

and get changed into a suit. I don’t look forward to walking down the driveway and up the road though.” “Actually,” Dick smiles. “There’s a tunnel in the Bat-Cave that leads to your house. There’s an opening to your garden.” Tim raises both eyebrows in surprise. “Oh. That comes in handy.”

Dick shows him the way and like he said the tunnel does lead to his garden. There’s an opening in the forest by the garden. Dick follows him. Tim unlocks the door and leads Dick inside. 

“There’s tea and soda in the fridge. I’ll be right back”

He changes quickly into a suit and heads back downstairs. Before he leaves though he supposes he should show Dick his own version of the Bat-Cave.

“But before we leave, there’s something I want to show you.” Tim leads down a hallway to

a sitting room. He waves his hand infront of a picture of his parents above the fireplace. 

The brick folds away inside revealing a staircase. Down below is the cave, it’s a connector to the same cave under Wayne Manor. When the house was built the Wayne’s had been there for a while, fearing that they might wander into their setup, the Drake’s had blocked off the section leading to their cave. Though now that Tim’s on good term he should probably clear the rubble. 

Tim leads Dick down and points out the things he shouldn’t like the cursed swords or the pure mercury in a sealed container waiting to be treated and forged into a weapon. 

He ends up leaving Dick down there asking him to make sure the others know what not to touch. Then he leaves for Drake Inc. 

Pru slams into him there as does Tam. At first he’s worried they’re trying to kill him, but no they’re hugging him. And then they try to kill him. 

“Two and a half weeks Tim! You were gone for two and half weeks!” Tam accomapnies each word with a slap. Pru is standing behind her, arms crossed nodding along. “I had to wait until Steph could get my number, and then that Vale woman runs an article saying you were vacationing with the Waynes, I almost went over to my father and begged for a job there again! He still wonders why I left to work for you and to be honest right now I’m wondering too!” 

She grabs Tim back up in a hug and holds him tight. “Don’t do it again.” “If it makes you feel better I was in a coma, don’t worry I didn’t hit my head, it was necessary.” Tim doesn’t know how much to tell her. She was in Europe with him, an attempt of Lucious’s to recruit Tim, so she knows he’s Black Bird. But he can’t tell her about Bruce and the others. Though she probably knows by now. Still, Tim won’t be the one to say. 

“You were in a coma?” She stands back and looks him up and down. “Does this have to do with your, other business?” 

Tim nods. Tam closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Pru I’m tagging you in. If you need me I’ll be in my office.”

Pru waits until Tam has left Tim’s office to march on Tim. She punches him in the same arm as Steph. “I almost burned this city looking for you. And Ra’s sent ninjas. I thought he had taken you.” “Shit I am so sorry Pru.” 

She smiles a toothy grin. “It’s not me you have to be sorry for. Ra’s and I, reached an understanding for the time. I suppose it’s off now that you’re back.”

“Pru, what kind of an understanding?” “He stopped sending ninjas, I stopped sending them back in casts. If I found you I’d tell him. Neither of us believed the vacationing with Bruce thing. I told him after Stephanie got ahold of Tam. She told her the minimum. Then she got ahold of me and told me what happened. I trust her more than Bruce, that’s why the cave is still standing. Ra’s was content to leave you there. Said something about it being time the young detective met the original detective.”

She turns and picks up a stack of folders. “You need to read and sign these. And I think there’s a fruit basket from Grand Pappy Demon on your desk, tread lightly there he might want to skype you.”

She leaves Tim to his work. The fruit basket is from Ra’s. Tim dumps it in the trash after reading the note. Ra’s does want to video call. Tim decides to answer it. He spends twenty minutes dodging his questions. 

“I believe it will be interesting, now that you are in the detectives fold. I look forward to seeing how his training changes you, young detective.” With that he hangs up. Tim stares for a second. He shakes his head and shuts his laptop working on the stack Pru gave him. Once he’s finished there’s another to work on. Finally he finishes and leaves for home. 

He enters the front door to Drake Manor to be assaulted by Damian. 

Damian jumps at him and Tim just barely manages to duck in time. Damian rolls and turns back to Tim snarling. “Drake! Explain how you managed to hide that from us! And where did you get those weapons! Many are ancient and of my blood lines lineage!”

Tim holds his hands up. “Just, just give me a second to change.” 

Tim’s honestly surprised Damian doesn’t force him downstairs into his lair. He changes quickly into a pair of old jeans and a shirt he isn’t afraid of staining. He did plan on working on his car before Damian attacked him. 

Damian’s waiting by the fireplace. It’s open like Tim left it this morning. Tim goes down first. 

Everyone’s there except for Alfred and Titus. “Hey yo, babybat. Thought you didn’t shoot werewolves?” Jason holds up a hand gun near the corner of the room. 

“I don’t. Those were my mothers.” 

Bruce is at Tim’s own version of the Batcomputer going through his files. Steph is eating a sandwich on top of the hood of Tim’s car. Cass is examing a pair of swords made to vanquish demons from a body. Dick’s hanging from Tim’s own gym equipment. Even Barbara is down here right next to Bruce. 

“Look, look at these Drake. There are paintings of my ancestors with these! Those are the exact designs.”

Damian’s pointing at a pair of katanas on display. Mercury coated katanas. He forgot about the thing his great grandfather had with the league of assassins. 

“Damian, look at the date and the crest on the hilt.”

“I don’t see what this prov-,” he stops at seeing the date. The crest is a winding Japanese dragon. Just above it is a date far earlier than whatever painting Damian is talking about. 

“Damian, those katanas in the painting were modeled after these. If you don’t believe me ask your mother or grandfather. Many of the weapons in here have been used as inspiration for the Leagues tools. A couple might even be from the league.” “But, but why would your family have centuries old weapons?” Bruce turns around. “This is something I am interested in also. Earlier you cited family obligations?” Tim knew this was going to come eventually. Might as well get it over with. 

“My father’s family has been fighting things for centuries. My mother’s family was a line of nobility in the same pursuit as my father. They’ve both been defending this world for centuries, not my parents, their lines. There’s magic in the world, and magical beings are pretty much the same as normal people. Most just want to live their own lives, but some turn to crime. Murder, power hungry grabs. Someone has to keep them in line, it couldn’t just be someone normal, though I really doubt that seeing you and what you all have accomplished, my family has been the one’s to keep them in line. My father’s side of the family, the Drakes, have been doing it for the longest time. There were others I think, other people who did it but they’re dead. My mother’s family had been doing it for a time just a little shorter than my father’s. Her family though didn’t have last names. Who needed a last name when just the word Janet struck fear in the hearts of the undead? Made the who takes whose name conversation easier though.” Tim laughs. “I’m rambling again. Anyways, eventually it only became my mother and my father who lived in their respective bloodlines. I promise this has a point Cass don’t look at me like that. They met each other, got married, built an empire in the business world as much as the magic world. Then they had me. I didn’t even know that they did that until they told me when I was what 12? 11 maybe? They were always away doing their work. Then they died and I was the only who could the job. That’s what I meant by family obligations.” He finishes and looks around nervously waiting for someone to say something. 

“That’s fucked up kid. What they just leave you all alone and then they drop some bomb on you like Hey sorry son that we’re shitty parents but you have to go out and fight demons and shit even though you’re 11.” Jason sounds angry. Tim shrinks back slightly at first thinking it’s him Jason’s angry at but, no he’s angry at Tim’s parents. 

“So you’re parents die and they leave you alone to deal with all this? Did you even have friends to help you? From what Dick said you went straight from following us on rooftops to what hunting witches?”

“Mostly witches, small crimes you know. Figured I’d start small. And, it wasn’t that bad. I only really stayed in Gotham doing it, it attracts magic beings. But then I got sent to Europe, there was this human trafficking ring with werewolves. I think I was fourteen when that happened. I got lucky though. I hadn’t had the chance to train with my parents much. Lady Shiva trained me, she gave me my staff actually. Her and a couple of others. And then it was kind of fun messing with Ra’s. It was good to know that I could help when I figured out how to bring Bruce back.”

This time Barbara talks. “But did you have friends?”

“Steph.”

“But you didn’t meet me until you were thirteen Tim.”

Tim shrugs and he really hopes he could get them to stop. Why don’t they just shrug it off like his parents did? “I had my camera and Gotham.” Everyone stares at Tim like he’s the weird one and maybe he is the weird one. 

“Whatever, I would really prefer to not talk about my childhood at the moment. End of the line I have an obligation to keep people safe.” 

“That still doesn’t explain why you started taking on regualr criminals and Christ what has my life turned into if I’m calling criminals from _Gotham_ regular.” Jason shakes his head and shifts his hip. 

“After awhile there weren’t that many magic only crimes. You guys were short handed and I figured hell why not.”

The cave is silent. Bruce nods and turrns back to the computer. That sets everyone else moving. 

“Hey Tim, show me how you’re supposed to use these.” Dick breaks the silence and points at a pair of chains on the wall. 

Tim shows him the way to use them to choke and bind, says the word that turns them into live snakes then turns them back into chains. 

Damian is watching closely. “Drake, I must ask. With all these swords you must be somewhat proficient at swordsmanship. I have yet to bring my family up to par. It would be, nice if you would spar with me.”

“I’d like that Damian.”

Jason watches from the side as Tim and Damian fight. It’s true the brat hasn’t had any one to cross swords with recently. His mind is still turning over what Tim had said earlier about his obligaations. 

“Are you ready to lose Drake?” Damian asks from one side of the mat. 

“That depends, are you ready to eat dirt?” The two are both holding two swords. Jason never took Tim for a dual wielder. Hell he never took him for much to be truthful. 

They bow, and Dick says begin. 

Damian springs into action attacking Tim. Tim who waits and just takes it and blocks it. Finally Damian steos back and Dick calls a halt. 

“Drake, why are you not attacking? I expected better.”

Tim smiles. “I just wanted to be sure of something.” He gestures for Dick to start them again. Dick does after glancing to Bruce, who is now watching. 

Tim waits again for Damian to move first, but rather than standing and just blocking Tim moves into action and. It’s fluid. It’s like watching Dick without the flips. Jason can defintely see him stalking them when he was younger and catalouging their moves. 

Damian presses back and side steps Tim and then, oh. That push and that kick were all 

Jason. Damian grits his teeth and twists swinging but Tim isn’t there. Jason leans forward, he can feel everyone else in the room doing the same. 

For the next ten minutes they see Tim reflect their own fighting styles, picking and choosing what works, adjusting it as he goes to fit his own needs and his own strengths. 

Jason comes to a realization. Either they’ve never seen Tim’s own fighting style, or he takes the others and suits it to his needs. It makes Jason curious. The spar ends with Tim using one of Damian’s own moves against him. Damian skates back readying for another swing. 

“I think that’s enough for one night.” Dick stops them. Tim and Damian talk. 

“Not bad Drake.”

Tim shrugs. “Mother liked knives and swords. I’m better with my staff.”

They spend the rest of their time before patrol talking.

“Tim, could you come over here?” Bruce calls Tim over. “I do not know as much about you as I need to to fully trust you. My children have doubtless told you I’ll warn you off of vigliantism. I think that this time I’ll skip the step entirely. I want you to still patrol, but I want you to always patrol with one of us. And I want you staying at the manor. Dick told me about the tunnel from the Batcave to here. I can have it cleared soon. I understand you might feel more comfortable here but I want you to stay with us at the manor. Alfred’s made a room for you.”

“That all makes sense. I expected at least three warnings so this is a nice surprise. But you didn’t have to have Alfred make me one. I could have done it myself.” Tim doesn’t tell Bruce that he’s never really felt comfortable in this house. Not with it’s empty hallways and lonely memories. 

“It’s no problem Tim. Everyone in the family has to have a room. I think Alfred’s happy to fill another dusty guest bedroom.”

There again with Tim being family. God he hopes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day! Yes! I don't even remember most of what I just typed aside from the beginning and the end. Please comment if you liked it, and thanks for reading!


	15. Patrol Is Nice Until You Lose Teeth (Which Happens More Than Not)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hahaha I am so sorry.

“I call the big one!” 

“He’s the only one!” Tim shouts back. It’s too late though, Steph’s already landed a flying kick to the muggers face. He’s out cold. 

“Oh thank you so much!” The old woman who was getting mugged pats Steph on the shoulder while Tim zipties the muggers hands and feet then calls the GCPD to pick him up. 

“It’s so nice of you to help an old woman. You take care of yourself now, you hear?”

“No problem m’am, you have a good night!” Steph fires her zipline and waves, Tim follows after her. 

“I call the next one!” Tim has to shout for his voice to be heard over the wind but he really doesn’t mind. Looking over at Steph smiling with her hair blown back and the same wind blowing Tim’s hair back as they grapple from building to building, Tim smiles. The feeling of patrolling with someone he trusts is amazing. 

“Only if you get there first!” Steph hollers back. 

Somehow their patrol turns into a game of tag with the occasional stopping of a mugging. It’s a quiet night in terms of crime. 

They pause on a rooftop in the business district. Tim can see the Wayne building from here, can see his own building farther back. The view is astounding. Steph says the on from the top of the Wayne building is even better. Tim’s never been gutsy enough to pause on the building owned by the Batman. But now he can, he guesses. 

Steph looks over him and wrinkles her nose. “You really need to change that coat. Yeah yeah I get the it’s been in your family for years but to be honest it looks like something some stupid peacock of a royal would wear, even if it is black.” “I agree.” Steph looks taken back. “I’m sorry what?”

“I agree the cape looks stupid.”

“But you were so excited about your uniform when you showed me the first time.”

“I was excited for the idea of having a uniform. In practicality it was kind of shitty and made from supplies I had on hand. I couldn’t get enough kevlar at the time to make a cape, it’s hard to get your hands on it when Oracle is monitoring the sell of it.”

“There are extras and materials in the cave when you get back.”

Tim startles looking behind him for Batman, but no. He was talking over the comms. 

“Christ B you’re gonna give me a heart attack.” Steph is clutching her chest. “Don’t you have something to do besides listening in on our conversations?”

“It’s an open frequency on our lines, eggplant girl.” Damian speaks over the comms now too. 

“Weak insult R. I’m hurt.”

“Blackbird, if you want, the offers open.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that. It’s a really stupid cape.”

“Tt. For once we agree.”

“Shut up Robin.”

“No fighting guys.” That’s Dick. 

“Are none of you actually doing anything?” And that’s Jason. 

“Looks like a slow night. Start heading back. Batman out.”

“Aye, boss.” Tim can hear Jason’s fake salute in his voice. 

Steph rolls her eyes and stands. She dusts her pants off and helps Tim up. “You ready to fly to the bikes?”

Tim zips off in answer. 

“That’s cheating!” 

Tim whoops and laughs. 

Bruce is already at the cave when they roar in. 

“Where’s the demon?” 

Bruce waves a hand towards the stairs. He’s working at a table. There’s black fabric on it. 

Steph leans in to whisper in Tim’s ear. “Oooh he likes you, already making uniforms. Lucky duck.”

Tim removes his helmet and walks over. “Is this what you were talking about?” Bruce nods. “Same length as the other, bullet proof, fire resistant, I’m working on glide capabilities at the moment.”

“Can I help?”

“It’s your cape.”

“I’m taking that as yes.”

Steph groans. “First a cape, next the car. Soon you’ll be building planes together”

Tim looks up at Bruce. “I haven’t worked on a plane yet.” Bruce looks up and he has the cowl down so Tim can see the smile in his eyes. “Yet.”

“We’re all doomed. I’m going to bed.”

“Sweet dreams!” Tim calls over his shoulder. 

They work on the cape together. Tim tries it on when he’s done. It’s a comforting weight but not heavy, it looks way better than the other. 

Bruce nods. “You’ll have to see if gliding works tomorrow during patrol with Dick.”

Tim holds one end of the cape up and smiles. “This is awesome.”

“Oh good he’s giving you a cape.” Dick’s stepping out of the Nightbird. “I was worried the other one was gonna give out on you. Did he show you the utility belt yet?”

“Dick.” Bruce is sort of glaring at Dick. “You ruined the surprise.” “Utility belt?” Tim questions. 

Bruce sighs then reaches behind him to get a box on another table. 

“What you have right now works well enough, I just figured I’d make you a new model equipped with new tools.” Dick sniffles behind them. “He gave you the batarangs early, he made you a utility belt. What a day.”

Tim reaches into the box. He detaches the one he’s wearing at the moment and puts the new one on. It’s fit as well as the cape. Bruce looks proud.

“Thank you.” Tim kind of feels like he’s gonna cry. He really hopes he doesn’t. 

“Hey Tim, did you ever get a chance to grab your clothes.”

“I forgot about that, no. I never got some. I can run over real quick and grab some pajamas.:” Dick shrugs him off with a wave of his hands. “I’ll just get you some of mine. You can borrow them for the night.” “Are you sure, I could just go next door.”

“It’s easier this way. I’ll be right back.”

Dick leaps up the stairs three at a time. Tim exchanges a look with Bruce. 

“Thank you though, I really appreciate the gear.”

Bruce smiles slightly. He raises a hand but pauses unsure and puts it back down. For a second Tim thought he was gonna put it on his shoulder. “Put it to good use.”

“Got them!” Dick almost trips down the stairs. Instead he flips and lands in front of Tim. Show off. “Here you go!”

“Tim takes the sweatpants and shirt, mumbles a thank you, and heads for the lockers to change.

He puts his uniform in the spot Bruce prepared when he takes it off. The sweatpants have to be rolled up at the cuffs and Tim has to tie them to keep them from falling off. Even then they sink low to his hips. When Tim unfolds the shirt he grins. It’s one those shirts you find everywhere in downtown, with a picture of Nightwing’s symbold on it. Tim doesn’t tell Dick he has one just like it. 

When he walks out Dick looks him over and shrugs slightly. “Sorry they’re big. Good thing you aren’t wearing Jason’s though, you’d be drowing in them.” “Was that a short joke?”

Dick laughs and so does Bruce. Tim smiles glad he made them laugh. 

“I’m calling it a night. Make sure you show him his room, B.”

Tim and Bruce follow Dick up the stairs. Dick waves good night and shuts the door behind him when they reach his room. Bruce looks almost nervous when they reach the door across from Steph’s.

“This one’s yours.” He opens the door and he’s definitely nervous when he asks if Tim likes it. 

The walls are painted robin’s egg blue with a shade of gray, the dresses are dark cherry wood like the bed frame on which sits a king sized mattress. The blankets are gray and blue. There’s a desk in the corner that Tim can definitely see himself crashing at after doing too much research. 

“It’s great. Thank you.” And there they are, there are the tears Tim felt at the back of his eyes down in the cave. 

“If you need anything let Alfred or I know. Goodnight, Tim.”

Bruce walks down the hall to his own room. Tim watches him go before shutting the door. He explores his room. There’s a good sized closet that’ll fit most of his suits. Next to the closet is a bathroom that makes Tim want to take a bath and never leave. 

The counters are white stone, there’s a seperate bath and shower and oh Tim can see himself drowning his sorrows in there. It’s actually pretty close to matching the bedroom in color scheme. The sink fixtures are chrome, same with the shower head and bath head. 

To take a bath or not to take a bath? He’s already in pajamas, better wait till tomorrow. 

Even though the bed isn’t the one Tim’s used to, it’s more comfortable. Tim falls asleep quickly compared to usual. 

When Tim wakes up the clock on the end table says nine. Mmm. Time for coffee. 

Tim stumbles down the stairs blearily. He tries to wipe sleep out of his eyes. He’s too tired to notice the way the shirt has rode up on one side and how it hangs off the other shoulder. Nor does he notice the fact the sweatpants have sagged enough to show his hip bones and lower stomach. He doesn’t notice his messed up hair either that Steph might call ‘sex hair’

Well, actually Tim notices it when it falls in front of his eyes. Grumbling he brings a hand up to push it back just as reaches the dining room where everyone’s sitting down to breakfast. 

“Good mor-” Dick freezes and the others look up. Jason chokes and starts coughing. Damian looks up and then looks down quickly. Tim can’t tell but Dick’s torn between choking with Jason or covering Damian’s eyes. Maybe his own while he’s at it. 

“And now you see why I dated him.” Steph looks around the table with a pleased look. Cass nods at her. 

Tim sits in the empty chair next to Jason. Steph slides a cup of coffee to him over the table. Tim tries to thank her but it comes out sounding more like a moan. Jason chokes again. 

Cass cackles with Steph. Damian is avoiding everyone’s eyes and mumbling something about indecency. 

Jason turns to Dick. “Christ Dick-head, just had to give him your sweatpants.”

Dick looks frozen. “I, I didn’t know.”

Steph levels them with a look. “You didn’t think I dated him just for his sparkling personality did you?” She shakes her head. 

Tim looks up from his coffee to squint at Steph. “Huh?’ 

Damian looks at Steph. “It’s like he’s trying to sound illicit!”

Jason excuses himself from the table, Dick goes with him and grabs Damian. 

When Tim gets to work Pru greets him with a cryptic “You have a guest.” Honestly if it’s Ra’s Tim’s gonna break a lamp over his head, ninjas be damned. 

He’s preparing himself for a fight when he opens the doors and he’s ready to shout but doesn’t when he sees that it is not Ra’s al Ghul the head of the demon but Dick Grayson sitting on his desk reading a magazine. 

Dick looks up when Tim enters and smiles. “Nice office Timmy.”

“What are you doing here?”

Dick shrugs. “Thought I’d drop in and pay a visit.” “Don’t you have work to do? As a cop?”

“Nah, I’m on leave from the BPD till a week after the blood moon. Figured Gotham could use all the help it has. And I think the commisioner was glad to be rid of me during the mess.”

“Wouldn’t help him if Gotham’s prince got hurt in the line of fire. The media outrage alone would be a scandal on his hands.” Tim presses his lips together. “You’ve paid your visit, could you go now? I have work to do. Just cause we’re all friends now doesn’t mean I can let the corporate enemy in on business secrets. Which includes my daily work.”

“It’s not me you have to worry about, Damian though. Phew. Kids planning a corporate takeover. Think’s Lucious having a daughter work for you is espionage. He just hasn’t figured out which company it helps yet.” Dick doesn’t leave for the rest of the day. Tim gets annoyed at parts but for the most part it’s nice. 

They part ways in the parking lot. “Oh, and make sure you bring a blindfold tonight and work on your sense of balance?”

“What? What does that mean?”

Dick doesn’t answer. Thank god it’s Friday though and Pru’s banned him from coming in on the weekends.

Tim figures out what Dick means later that night on patrol when Dick brings them to a bridge above traintracks and blindfolds Tim. 

“Remember to roll!” Dick shouts before they jump on the oncoming train. Tim rolls alright. Almost right off the edge. 

“Did Batman do this with you?” Tim stands unsteady. 

“He did it with all of us, training he said! Jason and I used to do it all the time. So, you and Spoiler dated?”

Tim pauses. Oh boy. “For a time.”

“So you aren’t dating anymore? When were you dating?”

“Not anymore. It was when she Robin, around the time she was pregnant and Robin. Then she died, or at least faked it. If that counts as a breakup. I went to Europe and then she came back as Batgirl. We talked it over, decided that dating we weren’t good for each other.”

“That’s harsh. It hit us all hard when we thought she died but none of us were _dating_ her.”

“She thought it was best. It hurt but, like I said we didn’t do well dating. Maybe in another time but there was just way too much going on for both of us. Least I didn’t date a serial killer.”

Dick pushes him. “Hey, I didn’t know she was a killer at the time! And, duck!” 

Tim throws himself down and feels something whoosh over head. 

“We’re not alone!”

“Got it! I’m taking off the blindfold!” Dick grabs his wrist stopping him. 

“No, this is the reason we practice!” “Are you sure? We could die.”

“We can always die, to your left!” Tim kicks out and feels his foot hit flesh. He smiles at the ‘Oof’ the person lets out. 

“B had said there was a brash of train robberies.”

They work together and then Dick kicks out and the robbers fall. Tim rushes to the edge.

“Did, did you push them over the edge?”

Tim doesn’t see Dick pull up the corner of his blind fold to see the robbers in a estuary not far from the train. 

When they get back to the cave Bruce asks how the cape worked. 

“It worked great! Dick took me train surfing and then we patrolled the west end.”

Bruce nods. 

Saturday morning is mostly uneventful. Everyone’s out doing their own thing mostly, so Bruce teaches Tim how to use the computer. It doesn’t take Tim long to get the gists of it and soon he’s using it as well Bruce. 

“Crosscheck the Sanders and Docks cases, I think there’s a link. The murder method seems similar. And they both look like inside jobs.” Bruce examines the files. It looks like he wants to punch something. “Can’t believe I missed that. Good job Tim.”

Something inside Tim sings at the praise. 

Tim patrols with Jason that night. They don’t talk much. It’s hard to joke around crime alley. Jason has a thing about managing it. Tim thinks it’s because Jason’s from there. 

They’re running across rooftops when a gun goes off. Jason takes off before Tim even has time to manage it and wow. 

When they get to where the gun is, there’s a guy on the ground. 

“Looks like a deal gone wrong, you ready Blackbird?” It’s nice of Jason to ask, even if he is already leaping off the roof towards the dealers before the sentence has left his mouth. Tim leaps after him and lands on one of the dealers

He flips off and swings his staff to fill extension. Jason and Tim work back to back. There are more people involved than Tim thought when he was getting ready to jump. 

Jason doesn’t use his guns, he sticks with hand to hand. Maybe he should have used them cause one guy got the bright idea to make a run for it. Before Jason even thinks about he swings and throws Blackbird at the guy. 

Blackbird lets out an indignant squeak but reacts quickly. He manages to tackle the guy rather than crash into the dealer. Jason claps before binding the others. 

Blackbird doesn’t say anything about it until they’re out of hearing range. 

“Really you just throw me?”

“You were there and he was over there, it made sense.”

“Still though, you cant just throw me!” 

“Watch me.”

Tim dodges Jason’s arm. They bicker about it all the way to the cave. 

“Still though, some warning would have been nice!”

Dick perks up from where he is at the Batcomputer. “Warning for what?”

“I threw babybird at a crook trying to get away. It ruffled his feathers.”

“There was no need to throw me!”

“It was faster, and besides you’re just so easy to throw. I’m pretty sure Damian weighs more than you.”

Dick puts a hand on his chin. “Mmm. You know throwing Robin was a common tactic when I wore the suit. Same with Jason. It kind of stopped with Steph. It might not be a bad idea to bring it back.” Both Jason and Dick turn to look at Tim.

“It could work.” 

Tim begins backing up slowly with his hands up as if calming a dog. “Don’t you look at me like that. I refuse to be a human batarang!”

When Batman and Robin finish patrol they’re greeted by Tim flying at them. 

“Catch!” Jason shouts. 

Bruce manages to catch Tim. “What on earth?” He throws Tim over his shoulder and looks at his eldest sons. They’re not even fazed by uniform anymore. Tim tries to scramble away. Bruce bends down a little so he doesn’t fall. 

“What are you doing?”

“We decided to bring back throwing Robin. Don’t worry Dami, we’re not throwing you, and we’re not replacing you either. Tim’s the only one who actually gets thrown well.” Jason answers. Dick nods along. 

Damian lets out an audible sigh of relief. 

Dick looks around the room. “Where’d Tim go?”

Tim freezes midway up the stairs out of the cave. Bruce sighs. Like predators his sons turn to look at Tim. 

Sensing death Tim darts up the stairs. 

“You’re not done just yet!” His sons chase after Tim. He can hear screaming and shouting through the clock door. 

Bruce decides now would be a good time to pop a couple of Aleeve. 

 

Patrol with Cass is nice. It’s quiet. As much as Tim enjoys having people to talk to sometimes he just needs a moment. It’s strange going from no noise to always having someone around. Cass is quiet though. She doesn’t feel the air with talk. 

Even though neither talk, they work together well. Cass knows what Tim’s going to do before Tim even knows he’s going to do it. They fill in the spots the others leave open while fighting. Tim decides to go on more patrols with Cass. 

“Why do your inlaws decide to hang out here?” Pru glares at Tim when he walks in on Monday. 

“Inlaws?” 

She doesn’t answer his question. 

It’s clear what she’s referencing when he walks into his office. 

“Finally you arrive Drake.” Damian is sitting at Tim’s desk going through his files. “Your files are an un-navigatable mess, as is your work space.” “Damian what are you doing here, and why are you going through my things? I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. Wait, don’t you have school? Summer doesn’t start for two weeks I thought.” “Tt. That mockery of an education system? Public school is still in session. Private however, was released a week ago.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’re here or going through my things.”

“You took too long and I became bored. Therefore I sought to entertain myself.” “But why are you _here_?” “Are you aware that your barista is an agent of my Grandfathers?”

Tim groans. “Damian, you’re not supposed to acknowledge it. It’s just a thing. I pretend I don’t know and he pretends he doesn’t know I know, same with Ra’s. It’s how I avoid dealing with ninjas. They’re so annoying.” “Grayson said there was a fruit basket addressed to you from my grandfather. I noticed the barista on the way here.” “You’re here because of a fruit basket? He sends those all the time, I just ignore them.” Damian eyes Tim. “Be wary of the company you choose Drake.”

Tim throws his hands in the air. “It’s not like I choose this! He has this weird obsesison and won’t leave me alone. It’s really creepy.”

Damian still eyes Tim as if he doesn’t believe his grandfather could be interested in Tim of all people. He hops off of Tim’s chair and leaves. 

“Goodbye turncoat.”

Pru flips him off. “See ya later demon brat.” She turns to look at Tim and raises an eyebrow. 

Tim remembers what she said earlier. “What did you mean my inlaws?”

Pru ignores him. 

Bruce patrols with Tim that night. Tim has the same feeling of childhood dreams he had when he first patrolled with Bruce. If only seven year old him could see him now. It’s almost as good as if he had been Robin. 

Batman gives orders and directions and Tim listens. They’ve stopped three armed robberies and five car jackings by the time it’s one am. 

Tim doesn’t recognize where they’re going until he sees the familiar W. Batman stops them on top of the Wayne Enterprises building. 

He has to stop for a second and take it all in. The way the entire city stretches out under him, the shining lights in a city that’s so dark with crime. 

Tim’s so busy looking out in awe that he doesn’t notice the small smile on Bruce’s face. 

Looking out over the city, Tim feels right. He feels like he’s finally found the thing he’s yearned for since he was removed from his mother. It’s the same as when he met Steph. It felt as if he found what was calling him. 

“You’re patrolling with Robin tomorrow.”

And as always the rubber band snaps.

Tim looks up from the view to look at Batman. “Are you sure? I don’t think he likes me.”

“He was worse when we first got him.”

“It’s not just that, Batman what if something goes wrong, what if something happens?”

Batman considers this for less than a second, which tells Tim he’s been thinking of this for a while. “I trust Damian to take care of himself, and I trust you to take care of both of you.”

Tim looks away. If he wants a family then he’ll have to act like part of one. That includes taking care of each other. Includes watching each other’s backs. 

“Does he know?’

Now it’s Batman’s turn to look away. “I thought it would be better if I told you first.”

Tim snorts. “You can tell him yourself. I think I’ll take this as a chance to organize my drawers now that I’ve finally got my things at the Manor.”

Batman winces. 

Damian reacts to being told he’s patrolling with Tim better than Tim thought he would. He still throws a fit and being forced to ‘babysit the newcomer’ but it’s a short one. 

“Are you ready Drake?” Damian scowls at Tim and pulls the hood of his Robin uniform up. It still makes Tim feel weird to go from the bright colored Robins that were Dick and Jason (and for some time Steph) to the angry child that is Damian. His uniform is still bright, but gone are the puns and smiles of a child. Unless you count the bloody ones Damian gives. But Tim doesn’t. 

“I guess.” Damian scowls harder. “How do you guess you’re ready?”

Tim shrugs and gets on his motorcycle. “I don’t know. That’s the guessing part.” He starts the bike and kicks off. Damian isn’t far behind him. 

It’s weird to drive through the tunnel and onto the road to Gotham. Tim had gotten used to just starting from one of his apartments in the city. 

They leave the bikes in an alley and start patrolling on foot on the roofs. 

“Robin!” Tim stops Damian from hitting a criminal whose already out. 

Robin pauses and and turns his head to look at Blackbird.

“You are not Batman. Do not tell me what to do.”

Tim’s torn between telling Damian what he really thinks and not arguing in front of criminals. 

His temper gets the better of him. 

“I know I’m not Batman, if I were maybe you’d listen!” It’s tense from there onward. Robin seems to use more force than normal and Blackbird is quicker with his actions. They’re both hoping the faster they move the faster the patrol will finish. If only time worked like that. 

“Robin, Blackbird, Two-Face escaped Arkham. It’s believed he’s in the Diamond District. I want you to go to Chinatown and patrol. Batman out.” “Tt. He sends me away as if Two-Face is a threat.”

Tim looks over at Damian. Even he felt a little spiffed Bruce was sending them away from where they’re needed but. Batman normally has a good reason, he doesn’t want to disobey this early in their relationship, and if Damian’s angry at it then Tim has to love it. Sorry that’s the way it works. 

“Let’s go Robin.”

“Do not order me about as if I am a child!” Even though Damian fights Tim he follows. 

Strangely, once they reach Chinatown there are no crimes to stop. Not even the usual muggings. Tim’s ready to call Bruce and explain it when he hears a click and a familiar voice behind him. 

“Well lookee here. Two birds ripe for the taken.”

Batman was wrong. Two-Face isn’t in the Diamond District. 

There’s a split second in which Tim looks at Two-Face and his many henchmen and when they start shooting. Tim throws himself at Robin and knocks him out of the way. He wraps his cape around them both as best he can and takes off running carrying Robin.

“Blackbird, Blackbird I insist you put me down this second and fight!”

Tim’s too busy trying to dodge bullets, keep Damian under the cape, and comm Bruce to argue. 

“Blackbird to Batman, Two-Face is in Chinatown firing on us. Evading noOW.” 

Tim falls and rolls. There’s a burning in his left thigh where he thinks a bullet grazed him. He tries to keep Damian safe and wrapped in the cape. 

Footsteps echo closer. “Run little birds run. Maybe Bats will have two matching coffins!”

Tim looks up and Two-Face is right there standing in front of him pointing twin guns. He has to keep Robin safe, Robin can’t die, not again, not again god damnit. He won’t let Robin die, he couldn’t be there before _but he’s here now._

Blackbird twists and kicks one of Two-Faces guns away still holding Damian under one arm. He runs farther. Two-Face’s laugh follows him down the alley. 

“Blackbird what are you doing? We can take them!”

“Robin don’t!” Tim starts running faster and 

It’s a dead end. The alley is a dead end. Footsteps appraoch, he has to think fast.

“Robin, the last time Two-Face got his hands on a Robin he beat him to an inch of his life and would have finished it if he could. He’s still trying, please just grapple up the wall, run and find Batman.” He puts Robin down and readies his staff. 

Robin sneers. “Act like a coward and escape? Never!”

Blackbird drops to his knees and grabs Robin by the shoulders. “Please, please just listen

to me this once.”

Damian is taken back. 

“Well isn’t this sweet. The birds are saying their goodbyes.” 

Tim spins around standing and extends his staff. He reaches a hand back pushing Robin behind him. “Go.” “But,”

“I said GO!”

Damian is stunned at Blackbird’s voice. It sounded deeper than his fathers, sounded like someone, something, bigger than Tim. He turns around and shoots his grapple. When his feet touch the roof he runs. 

“Awww self-sacrifice ruins my day yet again! You, you and you go after the brat.” Two-Face smiles. “Doesn’t matter anyways. I’ll just entertain myself with you for the time being. We’ll get the kid eventually.”

Tim tightens his grip on his staff. He waits for Two-Face to move first. He expects the bullets to bounce off his spells but they don’t. He’s sent backwards with the force of being shot so close. It’s only the kevlar that stopped the bullets. 

What? How? Did he forget to renew his protection spells? No, he did those last week. Someone has to be interfering with them. Sometimes the rogues will have spellcasters on their side and not even know it, but now? Of all times for there to be one. 

Tim gets back up. Fine. He has to find the spellcaster and stop them. He just hopes that he can still cast. He’s used to being the one binding other’s powers, not being bound himself. For the moment he’ll have to rely on the kevlar for protection. 

Two-Face shoots again, Blackbird jumps and kicks out knocking him to the ground. Blackbird lands in the middle of the henchmen. He circles his staff and swings out at the henchmen knocking them down. There are more behind them who take aim. 

“Really with the guns?” Tim asks. Gotta keep them talking. Keep them distracted. He jumps away over one heads and kicks two others in a split kick Dick would proud of. He swings the staff again and slams the end of it into Two-Face. 

Someone sneaks behind him and grabs his staff pulling it against his neck choking him. Stupid, stupid, Timothy. Goddamnit Tim you should have noticed!

When the person behind him presses Tim against their body Tim feels a chill like ice down his back. There’s the spellcaster. Too bad he’s too busy trying to keep his own staff from crushing his airway. 

Two-Face gets back up and rubs at the blood on his mouth. “Real dirty trick there kid. Think I’ll get you back for that, double what you gave of course.” He punches him in the face and Tim sees black and red from the force. His head snaps to the side and he spits blood. 

Two-Face grabs his face and jerks it to look at him. He punches again and Tim’s pretty sure he just lost some teeth. Now Two-Face hits him in his stomach and if it weren’t for the staff holding him up he would have doubled over in two and vomited. As it is he barely swallows it down. 

It tastes like iron. 

“See kid, it wasn’t smart hitting me like that.” Two-Face starts pacing back and forth. “If you’re gonna knock someone down, you gotta make sure they _stay down_. That’s where I went wrong with Robin. I plan on fixing that though, just like I plan on fixing you.” He kicks Tim in the shin and Tim’s legs go out. He’s coming up with a plan at least. Two-Face gets two more punches to the face and three to the stomach (there go those ribs again) before Tim acts. 

He takes his hands off of his staff and reaches behind him. He’s got a fire spell and he knows they’ll burn the face of whoevers holding him. Hope they’re good at healing spells. 

“AGGGHHGHHH!” Soon it smells like burning flesh, something that if Tim never smelt again in his life would be too soon. The person drops him and Tim takes the chance to leg sweep the person holding him and place a hand on their chest to perform the binding spell. 

“Hey what the fuck are you doing to Lenseti?!” Someone pulls him off before he can finish. 

He was so close. Tim reaches out and strikes the arm of the goon holding him breaking their elbow. Blackbird turns his face a snarl to see the spellcaster has fled. Fuck. 

Two-Face’s goons have circled around him. How long does it take Batman to get here honestly. 

Tim manages to kick most of the guns away, now it’s them using their hands and the occasional chain while Tim uses his staff. He’s in the middle of sweeping the legs out from under someone when a familiar shadow appears. A couple of shadows actually. 

“Shit the bats here!” The goon who shouts it gets an ecrisma stick to the back of their neck. It looks like pretty much the entire family is here, besides Babs. 

“Spoiler, Nightwing, Batgirl.” Batman instructs. They nod and chase after the escaping henchmen, but not before Spoiler looks over Tim. Her face hardens at what she sees. 

“I’m back Blackbird.” Tim nods at Robin. Jason grabs a goon and throws them at Batman who knocks them out.

“You’re looking a little worse for wear there kid.”

Blackbird spits the blood that had been pooling in his mouth. Oh yeah definitely lost a tooth. Great, he hasn’t figured out how to grow those back yet. 

Working together it doesn’t take long to have Two-Face and his workers down and tied. 

Bruce nods to Tim. “Red Hood and Robin will take you back to the cave.”

Tim shakes his head. “No. I need to make sure he’s in Arkham.” He reconsiders his sentence seeing Batman’s expression. “It’s not you I don’t trust, it’s, I’m not sure just please.”

Red Hood and Robin look at Batman waiting for a response. 

“I’ve got chloroform in my pocket if it’s needed.” 

Batman turns and grabs Two-Face. “That won’t be needed Red Hood. Wait here with Robin for the police.” Blackbird follows Batman out of the alley. Commisioner Gordon is already there along with an escort car for the ride to Arkham. Gordon takes a look at Blackbird and looks at Batman. 

“It isn’t bad enough you get the crap kicked out of you, now you have to bring in another one?”

Blackbird lets out a hoarse laugh. “I’ve been getting the crap kicked out of me years before he brought me in.” 

Gordon shakes his head and gets in his car. Batman puts Two-Face in the holding seat in the back of the Batmobile. Blackbid rides with him in the front. 

The radio is criminals talking about the new kid on the block. 

“I swear man I was there, the kid burned Lensenti’s face with his hands! It was magic!” “Naw man, the bat don’t like metas. And you know him and his toys. Probably one of his gadgets.”

Batman doesn’t comment on Blackbirds actions. 

The gates to Arkham open and they cross the bridge. Before they cross Batman turns to Tim. “Are you sure?” Tim nods. Batman continues past the second gates. 

There are doctors and security waiting for them when they get out of the car. Batman picks Two-Face up and drags him. A doctor leads him to his cell. 

“Didn’t last long did it Two-Face?”

“Who’s the shrimp?” “New kid Batman? Let’s hope this one lasts longer than the other!” The laugh that follows is the same one that haunts the dreams of every soul in Gotham. 

Batman doesn’t stop. He questions the doctor when they’re far from the Joker. “Joker was in solitary.” “He got out for good behavior last night.” 

Tim shudders inside. Eventually they reach the cell that normally houses Two-Face. Poison Ivy is in the one opposite. She looks up when they stop. 

“Oh wonderful, he’s back. Who’s the kid?” 

Batman doesn’t answer, just throws Two-Face in the cell and turns around. Blackbird waits until the doctor has locked the door. Then he turns and leaves with Batman. 

The others are waiting for them in the cave when they get back. They’re all still in uniform. Dick jumps up from sitting when he hears the Batmobile pull in. 

“Steph drove your bike back, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Tim nods. It doesn’t help the ache in his jaw. 

Steph walks towards him and gently takes his jaw into her hands. “You ever figure out how to grow teeth?” “Not yet.”

“On the bright side your other healing saves a shit ton on medical supplies.”

“Jason!” 

Tim laughs and winces. “Give me a second.” Just like when he woke up from his coma for the second time he goes into a healing trance. Missing teeth, bruised ribs, no broken ribs at least. Though his shin and knee are swelling from the kick. Better take care of those. 

Soon he’s all done and healed. He comes to and opens his eyes. 

Dick hugs him. “I don’t think I’ll ever get to used to that, but god am I glad for it.” Tim’s too tired to freeze for long and he melts into the hug glad for warmth and contact. 

Steph wraps her arms around Dick and him, Cass pulls Damian in and hugs them all to his protest.

“Come on Jason, Bruce, get in here.” Dick looks between the two. 

Batman puts a hand on Tim’s shoulder. Dick turns to Jason. 

“Ah no thanks I’m not really there for the touchy feelings aspect. Glad you’re alive though kid. Bad enough someone replaced me as Robin, can’t be replaced as the family zombie too.” Bruce cringes slightly. Tim makes a note of how Jason always finds a way to barb them when emotions are around. Always brings up his death when he doesn’t want to get involved. But that’s a topic for another day. 

Tim wishes he could stop Jason from feeling the need to do that. Wishes he could have him in the hug. Tonight is not the night though. For now he’s content to melt into the warmth around him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does the ending before the family hug constitute as angst? When Tim's talking about not letting Robin die? Thanks for reading, please comment on what you liked and any suggestions you have. Also just in case anyone's confused (mostly myself at not being able to keep my notes together) Damian died, but it wasn't really his death Tim was talking about. Have fun with that


	16. Tim Goes to the Dentist and On a Binge

Tim frowns. He pokes his tongue at the spot where one of his teeth used to be. If only he could find the other sock. He swore he had it right here. Maybe he should do laundry, those we’re his last matching socks. 

He admits defeat and twirls his hand calling on his magic. The other sock zips out from under his bed and into his grasp. How’d it get down there?

Finally he’s ready to put his shoes on and head downstairs where Jason is waiting to take him to his dentist appointment. A laugh escapes his mouth remembering Jason’s reaction when he was told he’s taking Tim to the dentist. 

“And I have to take him why?”

Bruce doesn’t look up from his book. “You’re the only one who isn’t doing anything.”

Jason scoffs. “You don’t know I’m not doing anything. I could be visiting Roy or babysitting Lian. Hell I might even be going out to meet a friend for drinks.”

Bruce looks over the top of his book and raises an eyebrow. 

“Alright fine. You’ve got a point there, but why can’t someone else do it?”

“I have to attend a business lunch, Alfred is grocery shopping, Dick is helping Barbara with some renovations, Steph and Cass have disappeared, and Damian is twelve.”

“So, he can drive a car.”

“He can’t check Tim in though. It would be weird for a child to check in a minor at the doctors.”

Jason throws his hands up admitting defeat. “Fine. But I’m taking the corvette.”

Bruce doesn’t argue it. You have to take your small victories where you can find them. 

Jason’s the only one waiting for him when Tim enters the main living room. He’s slouched on the couch reading something in German. Tim thinks it’s Shakespeare? Literature isn’t really his thing. 

When Tim enters Jason looks up. “You ready?”

“Yeah, sorry you’re stuck taking me. I could have done it myself.”

Jason fake laughs. “They’re putting in fake teeth, you’re gonna be doped up and put under, and you think you could have taken yourself?”

Tim shrugs. “I’ve done it before. Normally I just choose an office close to an apartment of mine and walk there.”

Jason looks at him incredulously. “I can’t tell if you’re full of shit or being honest.” He shakes his head and stands putting a ribbon on the page he’s at in his book. “Let’s get going, wouldn’t want to be late.” The corvette’s nice. More than nice if Tim’s being honest. Jason probably picked it cause it’s red. 

The dentist is some obscure specialist that doesn’t ask questions. He shouldn’t for the amount of money Bruce paid him. Tim tried to pay for it himself but Bruce said something about it being his fault Tim lost teeth. Please. 

“Ah, good morning Mr. Drake, Mr. Todd.” The dentist has a european accent smoothed over with bits of Gotham’s natural dialect. He’s been here for a while. Tim looks at Jason when the doctor uses his real name. He supposes Jason’s been dead enough that most people won’t notice he’s got the same name as Bruce Wayne’s dead son. Or if they do notice, say nothing about it. 

The doctor gestures to the expensive waiting room. “Make yourself comfortable Mr. Todd. If you would like a coffee or something to drink, just ask my secretary. If you’ll follow me Mr. Drake, the room is already prepped.”

Jason sits at one of the chairs in a corner of the room where he can see everything, then opens his book and continues where he left off. Tim follows the doctor. 

“We’re just going to put you under for the duration of the surgery. If you could take some deep breathes, there we go. See you when you wake Mr. Drake.”

Tim breathes in the gas once the mask is on his face. As he goes under he has the thought of how weird it is he’s using a mask to breathe _in_ gas. Normally he uses masks to keep gas _out._

 

Jason looks up when the doctor brings Tim out. Tim’s leaning on him with a drugged grin. He stands and walks over to them. 

“Jason!” Tim detaches himself from the doctor and latches himself on Jason’s arm. Jason jerks back but Tim won’t let go. 

He looks at the doctor. “How long is he gonna be like this?”

“Results vary slightly, but he’ll be like this for another couple of hours or so. Here is his pain medicine. Be aware though that they are strong and may, for lack of a better word, make him woozy. A lot like how he is now actually, just of a lesser degree.”

Jason sighs. “Great. I bet Bruce is gonna find some excuse to leave the house for a week. Thank you.”

The doctor nods and waves them out. Tim clings to Jason all the way down. He babbles and most of the time Jason can’t understand what he’s saying. 

Jason has to carefully detach Tim and buckle him in once they get to the car. Tim frowns and fuck that’s adorable. 

“Jaaasssoon.” “Don’t worry kid, I ain’t leaving you. Just need to be able to drive.”

He walks over to the other side of the car. When he’s in Tim latches onto his right arm and starts rubbing his head against Jason. Jason is a little weirded out. 

“The fuck are you doing?”

Tim pulls away and pouts. “I’ve seen Selina do this with Bruce, and they like each other. I want to be friends. Do you not like it?” Tim lets go and jerks back to the other side of the car. “I’ll stop I’m sorry.”

Jason sighs. “You’re fine kid, I was just confused.”

Tim lets out a sound of joy and latches back onto Jason’s arm. Well. That’s fine. He can just drive with his left arm. It’s gonna be interesting operating the stick shift though. 

“And then, and then the spider guy stabbed me and I thought I was gonna die but then I woke up and I was at a lazarus cave and I freaked out cause I thought they had re-re-revived me,” Tim nods at his pronounciation “but they hadn’t they just had taken my spleen out.”

Jason eyes him as they pull into the driveway and then the garage. “You don’t have a spleen?”

“Nope! I haven’t figured out how to grow organs back either. Oh but one time Steph hit me with a brick, in the face. That’s how we met.” Jason has to detangle himself from Tim again to exit the car. Tim continues rambling about how he met Steph as Jason walks to the other side, opens the door, and unbuckles Tim. 

Tim’s shaky when he stands. But he manages to walk inside with help from Jason. 

“Honey I’m home!” Jason shouts when they’re inside. No one answers. Traitors. 

Tim yanks on Jason’s arm. “Do you wanna watch Star Trek?” Jason sighs and considers his options. “Yeah kid sure, lets watch Star Trek.” Tim whoops and jumos, almost trips but doesn’t and runs to the living room. 

Jason walks in with him and plops on the couch putting his feet on the table. Good thing Alfred isn’t here to see. 

Tim grabs the remote and sits right next to Jason. Like almost in the curve of his arm thrown over the back of the couch. He wants to say something, but from what Dick says he gets a little touchy when he’s drugged too. 

Tim turns the TV on and finds Netflix. They’re watching the original series. As the intro plays Tim quotes it. Word for word. He turns to Jason with wide eyes as he quotes the last part. 

“To boldy go where no man has gone before!” He sings off key with the music too. Jason winces but deals with it. Eventually Tim ends up leaning into Jason entirely. If Dick were here, he’d call it cuddling. But Dick isn’t here, so Jason calls it the path of least resistance. 

The kid’s mostly quiet through out the show. Sometimes he’ll make a comment about physics and how that could never happen but that’s okay because Kirk is a good human. Jason finds himself grinning without meaning too. 

And that’s how Alfred finds them. He doesn’t comment on Jason’s booted feet on the table. He doesn’t do anything but smile and walk back to the kitchen to put groceries away. Bruce comes home next, Dick’s with him. They make themselves known. 

Dick’s got a camera. 

“Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare.” Jason hisses at Dick. Dick grins and snaps photos. 

He crows. “These are going in the album.”

Tim wakes up from his cat nap. When he sees Dick and Bruce he smiles. “You’re home! We’re watching Star Trek, wanna watch?”

Dick snaps another picture and hands the camera to Bruce. “Make sure these are copied and safe.” He says gravely. Bruce nods just as gravely and walks away. Jason has half a mind to chase after him and get the camera back, but the kid’s tucked pretty tight into his chest. 

Dick sits on the other side of Tim. He snuggles down into Tim’s side and puts his own arm over Jason’s on the back of the couch. Jason glares at him. Tim smiles and puts his lower half on Dick then snuggles his upper body on Jason finally resting his head on Jason’s chest. 

“I fucking love science.” Dick and Jason both jerk to look at him. 

“Did he just drop the F-Bomb?” Jason throws his head back and laughs. Tim grumbles at the movement. “Babybird got’s a mouth on him? So how much do you fucking love science kid?”

Tim looks at him too seriously for someone drugged. “So fucking much.”

When Damian gets home Tim is sprawled over Dick and Jason. Jason is mindlessly playing with Tim’s hair, Dick’s tracing circles on Tim’s legs. Tim looks like he’s died and gone to heaven. 

He pauses in the doorway. 

“Hey lil D. How was Colin’s?”

“It was satisfactory. I presume Drake’s surgery went well?”

Jason snorts. “He’s still high as fuck and hasn’t taken a single pain med yet. But yeah he’s 

he’s got a full set of teeth again.”

“Language Master Jason.” “Sorry Alfred.”

Alfred’s holding a tray of what looks sconces and a bowl of something white. “I’ve prepared a snack if you are hungry.” He sets it on the table. Tim reaches for a scone, Alfred hands him a bowl of what Jason can now identify as cottage cheese. Tim pouts. Dick slaps a hand to his chest at the pleading look. 

“My apologies Master Timothy, but only soft foods are acceptable with your recent oral surgery.” Tim sighs and starts spooning cottage cheese in. 

Damian smirks and munches a scone. “Poor Drake.” Tim glares but the effect is lost with his still apparent pout. “Just wait until you have your smart teeth removed.”

Damian looks confused. “Has Apple created a robotic tooth?”

“I think he’s talking about your wisdom teeth.”

Damian smirks harder. “I was biologically engineered to be perfect. I will not have wisdom teeth to be removed.” “For real?” Tim doesn’t look angry anymore. “Holy shit that’s cool. It’s like Spock, except Spock’s emotionless and you’re a ball of anger. I can relate to that. But you both are from deserts so there is that.” Tim examines Damian as if he’s going to grow pointed ears and a bowl cut. 

“What is he rambling about?” Tim gasps. “You don’t know what Star Trek is? Sit down, you’re gonna learn.”

For once Damian listens. Both Dick and Jason take notice to him being nicer to Tim. 

Though it takes someone who’s known Damian to notice the change. Dick grins at Jason. Bruce joins them halfway through The Trouble with Tribbles. Steph and Cass appear out of nowhere a couple of episodes later. 

When Alfred enters to tell them dinner is ready he sees his family laughing together. He leans against the doorway and smiles. As bad as it may sound, he’s glad Master Timothy was attacked and taken back to the cave.

Due to Tim’s surgery, he’s benched for a week. He decides to put this to good use. Bruce

has already cleared the way to his own cave and Tim takes full advantage of this. 

“Hey, um Timmy you doin alright?” Dick walks through the tunnel slowly. He spots Tim in working at a bench pouring different colored liquids into different containers and tubes. “You haven’t come out in a while and the others are kind of worried.” There are empty cups scattered around him that Dick presumes once held coffee. He walks towards Tim trying to step around the scattered papers, bowls, and mugs. 

Tim turns towards him and there are light bags under his eyes. “Hmm? Oh yeah I’m good. Just trying to figure this out.”

“What exactly is it?” “It’s an alkai wolfsbane compound. I’m trying to mix it because I got tired of constantly 

coating my things in wolfsbane, or carrying it around. If I could just imbue my weapons with it to work as a repellant it would be so much easier, but in order to do that I need basilisk scales and those are hell to get ahold of. I’m trying to replace it with unicorn tail hairs but it doesn’t look like it’s working.”

“All of this is that potion?” Dick gestures to the multiple tables and vials. 

Tim looks up. “No. Only these are the potions. Over there I’m analyzing some hair Bruce 

found at the Narrows case, I’m waiting for the solution to work on the section I’ve caught off. And then over there is a new planticide I’m working on. It looks like Ivy’s plants might be building a new resistance. And then the bench over there is a breakdown of the chemicals in Crane’s newest toxin.” Dick nods his head worried. “Tim, when was the last time you slept?” Tim pauses and angles his head to the side. “Twelve hours ago? Give or take.” He returns to the mixture which has started bubbling. Tim recoils and dumps it in what looks like a trashcan next to the table. He shuts the lid and holds it down wincing. Whatever is in the trashcan explodes making it jump slightly. 

Tim sighs. “Looks like the unicorn hairs didn’t work. Hey Dick, while you’re here could you get me a cup of coffee? I tried an endless mug spell but it just led multiple cups rather than a single bottomless cup. I’m a little scared to try it again.”

“Um, yeah brb.” Dick steps backwards slowly then darts out of the cave, Tim’s mumbling 

following him. 

“Hey, hey Steph.” Steph’s in the Batcave sparring with Jason. 

“Yeah?” She feints and ducks under Jason’s punch. 

“Is it normal for Tim to take on the persona of the one crazy wizard from that show whose 

name I can’t remember right now because he has like five different projects he’s working on right now and hasn’t slept in twelve hours.”

Steph freezes and Jason just barely manages to stop his kick. She looks at Dick with an expression of horror. “Is he working on potions or normal forensics?” “It’s a mixture, he’s trying to do something with wolfsbane and he said something about basilisk scales and isn’t that the thing from Harry Potter that turned everyone into stone?”

Steph takes a sharp inhale and looks towards the cave where Tim is working, horror still etched on her face. “We’re all fucked.” She whispers. 

“It can’t be that bad, can it?” Jason asks. 

Steph shakes her head. “Jay, you don’t understand, he brought out _basilisk scales he is_

_never coming out now_ and just. Don’t don’t go in there. The last time he was on a binge like this, and no I’m not talking about TV binges though those are hell too I swear to god I barely survived the last one, the last time he was on a binge like this he was trying out a disguise potion and I made the mistake of walking in. My hair was green for a week. A week!” “Is that what happened? I thought it was just teenage rebellion.” Dick looks like something that’s been bugging him finally makes sense. 

“That’s what I told Bruce, I couldn’t just say hey my best friend magician goes on crazy work binges and turned my hair green, now could I? But the point is don’t go in there.”

“Um, about that. I kind of told Tim I’d get him coffee.”

“Oh Dick, you will be missed dearly.”

“Clark, what are you doing here?” Batmans in full uniform having just finished his patrol. 

His children are still out trying to avoid the disaster zone Tim’s work place is. 

“Just wanted to stop by and see how you’re doing.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“He hasn’t seen you in a while and wanted to make sure you’re okay.” Superboy is standing near the exit of the cave with crossed arms. He doesn’t seem happy to be here. 

Superman laughs. “Conner’s right. I heard there was thing with Two-Face recently?”

“It was taken care of.”

“Bruce you’ve got to use more than singular sentences.”

Conner roll his eyes and begins looking around the cave. That’s weird. That tunnel wasn’t here the last time Superman dragged him on a house visit. The sound of Superman and Batman’s conversation lessens as he follows the tunnel to one of the strangest things he’s ever seen, and he’s in the Teen Titans which is saying a lot.

Standing in front of him is a teenage boy who looks a couple years older than Robin. But that’s not what strikes Conner as weird. It’s what’s around him and what he’s doing. 

“No, no that’s not right. Need to get a toad’s skin. They should be over here.” The boys back is to Conner and he hasn’t realized he’s not alone yet. “I should get the phoenix feathers, those might help.” The boy turns and at first he doesn’t notice his visitor. He walks to the shelf near Conner, grabs something, pauses, and turns to Conner. 

He squints his eyes. “You weren’t here before were you?”

Conner shakes his head. Does Batman know this guy’s here?”

“Who the hell are you?”

Who the hell is he? Who the hell is this weirdo, what right does he have to ask who Conner is? Conner’s always had a short temper, and he’s already annoyed at being dragged along to visit. 

“I’m Superboy, who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing here?”

The boy bristles. Now that Conner’s got a good luck he can see the bags under the boys eyes and the red in his eyes. 

“Go away, I have work to do.” He turns away from Conner and walks towards one of the tables. And okay what the fuck where does this goblin (the guy is shorter than Conner) get off telling Conner to fuck off? And maybe not in those exact words but close enough. 

Conner grabs one of his arms and jerks him back, and okay so he might have used a little more force but still he’s kind of had it today. 

The guy almost falls and wow okay he’s a lot lighter than Conner expected. Something else he didn’t expect was the guy twisting out of his grip and pushing Conner _back._

Well that just does it.

“So you’ve got a new kid, Bruce?” Clark’s sitting next to Bruce. “Why haven’t I met him yet?” “It wasn’t until recently that he was here. And I hadn’t even met him until a month and a half ago. “

Superman cocks his head and listens. “Is the boy here now?”

Batman stands and looks towards the tunnel leading to Tim’s own cave. “Yes. Why?”

Superman grimaces and stands. “I think Conner just found him.”

Batman and Superman rush towards the cave, or at least they try to but a body goes flying out of the tunnel. It’s Tim. He rolls and manages to slide across the floor standing. 

Conner walks out of the cave. “The hell does that mean?”

Tim whirls around. “It means you’re wasting my time! That spell is time sensitive!” He runs and leaps at Conner. Superman expects Conner to stop him, there’s not much the kid can do unless he has kryptonite, it is Batman though so he probably does somewhere. Instead when the boy tackles Conner, Conner goes flying. The boy lands some feet off in a crouch and, his hands are glowing? Superman doesn’t know if he should stop it or not so he looks at Batman who looks horrified. 

“Tim!” 

The boy, Tim Clark assumes, stops and looks at Batman and wow he’s got some dark circles. 

“He tried to touch the stone spell!” Tim stands fully and gestures at Conner. He stops when he sees Superman and his expression would be hilarious if Superman’s sort of son clone brother wasn’t on the floor groaning. “Oh, hi Superman.” Superman helps Conner up. “Timothy Drake is your new kid? Isn’t he emancipated?” Bruce shrugs. 

“Oh and Tim, it’s my job to make sure you don’t turn into a pancake”

Tim looks confused. “Is he talking about Superboy smashing me?”

Bruce looks away. “When you were attacked at the gala you told me to thank Clark for not allowing you to become a pancake since you don’t even like pancakes. I believe you were referencing the Luthor party where you we’re thrown out of the window.”

Tim looks embarassed. “Oh.”

Conner dusts himself off. He still looks angry. 

“Superboy, Blackbird, Blackbird, Superboy.” Batman introduces them. 

Tim holds out a hand. Conner looks at it as if expecting it to bite him and who knows with Tim involved it could have. Superman and Batman look on anxiously. Finally Conner takes the offered hand and shakes it. 

Tim smiles. “Sorry for earlier.”

“Me too.”

“Good to see you’re friends, you’re going to be working together.”

As if they planned it Tim and Conner turn at the same time and shout “What?!” 

Superman looks at those present. If this is how these two take it, he’s not sure he wants to be there when the rest of the Titans are told. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly a fluff chapter. And sorry but Tim's not working with the Titans till after the Blood Moon. Batman needs all the help he can get and he figures it would probably be best if the Titans had a chance to absorb the news. He has a habit of springing things on them (Namely in the form of Robins).


	17. Vicki Vale Needs to Chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly fluff.

It’s two weeks to the Blood Moon and already it’s taking it’s toll on Gotham’s underbelly. 

Batmans stopped four different sects and cults from kidnapping high powered individuals they were intent on sacrificing. Muggings have gone up as have incidents in Arkham and Blackgate. 

Of course Gotham’s used to this kind of thing, at least as used to it as it can be, and it doesn’t stop Gotham’s citizens from continuing on with their daily lives. 

More specifically it doesn’t stop the upper crust from hosting galas sponsoring some charity or another that no one really pays attention to because there’s an open bar. Ah the joys of the rich. 

“I don’t understand why I have to attend this event Father. You, Grayson, and Brown are sufficient to entertain the masses. Cain isn’t even attending.”

Bruce sighs and straightens his son’s tie. “We need to present a unified family as best we can, and Cass doesn’t do well at these things. I’ve already told you this.”

Damian tt’s but doesn’t respond to that. Jason is grinning in the corner. 

“Damn I remember how uncomfortable all those suits and parties were. One good thing about dying, I don’t have to go.”

Bruce rubs his temples. It’s going to be a long night. 

Steph waltzes into the room in an emerald evening gown and black shoes. “You all ready? Tim’s already there and he’s been texting me about how annoying and fake everyone is, I can’t wait to bitch with him about people and their fashion choices.” \---------------------------------

“Two O’Clock, pea green cocktail dress.”

Steph looks behind her in the reflection of her glass and makes a face. “Who wears a cocktail dress to a formal event? And that color looks like baby vomit.”

Tim smiles and sips his champagne (the legal drinking age never seems to matter at these kinds of things). “Not all of us have your sense of style Steph.”

“Obviously. No one rocks green as good as I.” She tosses her head and strikes a pose then giggles. 

Dick walks over. Heads turn as he goes and Steph snorts and nudges Tim when a person turns their head so hard it looks like they gave themselves whiplash. 

“How’s my little sister and her best friend doing?”

“Suffering. You?”

Dick nods. “Same. These things are long but I feel like this one keeps dragging on and on.”

Tim and Steph nod in aggreeance. “We used to hide under tables and wait to see how long it was before someone noticed when it was really boring.”

Steph smiles. “And we’d play tag too, you have no idea how hard it is to speed walk in a ball gown.” 

Dick grimaces. “Yes I do.”

Recognition lines Steph’s face and she smiles wider. “Oh yeah that one time in Ontario under cover when you were Robin. Babs told me about that.”

“Of course she did. I’ll never live it down.”

Tim looks between them confused. Steph catches his look. “I’ll explain later, or Babs can tell you herself. She has it all on camera.”

“What does Barbara have on camera?”

Steph jumps when Bruce speaks behind her. “Holy shit B! I thought we agreed to stop doing this after Alfred almost had a heart attack.”

Bruce shrugs sligthly grinning. “ Good thing Alfred isn’t here.”

Heels click closer to them on the tiled floor. The four turn to see the devil approaching. Technically it’s Vicki Vale and not the actual devil, Tim actually did try banishing her to no avail, although she would give him a run for his money.

“And why is it a good thing Alfred isn’t here?” She smiles sweetly. They of course have no choice but to smile back. Except for Steph, she’s never played Vicki’s games and still holds a grudge for that article Vale ran claiming Steph was nothing like her charming adopted family. Tim holds the grudge with Steph, but his mother taught him political games as a toddler. It’s ingrained in him to smile venom.

“It’s a good thing Alfred’s not here because he’s outlawed scaring each other in the house. Steph and I had a way of escalating things to the point where Alf just had enough.”

Vicki nods. “I see the Wayne’s and the remaining Drake have been in each other’s company often lately. A family vacation out of nowhere, lunches together, even choosing each other’s company at parties. Why?”

Didn’t take her long to get the meat of the matter. 

Bruce chuckles, Dick laughs with him. 

“Always straight forward, Vicki. There’s no main reason, Tim and Stephanie have been friends for a while and recently she introduced him to the family. We’ve taken an interest and he’s a good kid.”

Vale’s full attention is on Bruce. Dick takes the chance to sneak behind her and make a face at them. Steph barely holds her snort in. 

“Now see, Brucie, for some reason that just doesn’t sound like the whole reason. In the past Timothy has said that he’s going to keep Drake Inc and Wayne Enterprises seperate, and yet here you are spending more time than ever together. Now doesn’t that sound like the kind of thing to happen before a _merger?_ ” 

Dick mocks her and makes a face while mouthing ‘merger’. 

“Ms. Vale, I meant what I said in the past. There is no merger in the forseeable future.”

Vale raises an eyebrow. “And so there is one farther down the line? Perhaps when everyone has forgotten about?”

Tim tries not to look behind Vale where is Dick is mocking her, mouthing along word by word, emphasizing her point with comical expressions. It’s hard though not to look. 

“No, Ms. Vale. There will never be a merger.”

“Oh, so can you see the future now Mr. Drake?”

Tim has to bite his tongue to refrain from snapping that no he can’t, prophecy was always more great Uncle Fergus’s thing.

“Only as far as you can Ms. Vale. Which I suppose must not be very well if that article insinuating that Bruce Wayne is the Batman is any indication of your abilities.”

Vale’s lips thin and she glares daggers. Dick looks shocked for a second behind her before thinning his lips and squinting in an imitation of glaring. 

“I’ll have you know, Mr. Drake,” she stresses Mister in disdain at calling someone Tim’s age Mister. “That that was a mistake that I still have doubts about actually being false. It is not however nearly as big of a mistake as insulting someone with my status in the reporter community.” She huffs and twirls around almost running into Dick. 

He smiles at her and waves her away despite her scowl at him. 

When Vale is finally out of earshot Steph breaks down laughing, Dick soon after.Tim joins them after a couple of seconds. Even Bruce chuckles. 

“You might have fucked up there Tim. As much as I hate that woman, even I know it’s bad to make her angry.”

Tim shrugs. “I’ve made powerful people angry before. At least she doesn’t have access to the Black Plague and carrier mice. It’s a long story.” 

Dick nods uncertain but smiling. Bruce studies Tim before shaking his head. Steph already knows the story. 

“Well, I guess we should go get Damian and leave.” Bruce straightens his tux. He’ll be excited about the chance to leave early. To be honest, I am too.”

Steph begins skipping away before stopping. “We should watch a movie. I’m gonna ask Cass to pick one out and get some popcorn going.”

Tim perks up. “Do you think Alred could make his hot chocolate?”

“Probably. Hey Dick! Race ya to the demon!”

“Steph what we have said about calling Damian a demon?” Bruce doesn’t even manage to sound exasperated. 

Alfred does indeed make hot chocolate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about not updating for so long. I got sucked into Voltron hell, and tbh I don't think I'm gonna leave it any time soon. Sorry the chapter's short. Thanks for reading!


	18. You're Not Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just fluff. And a bat.

Vicki Vale is true to her word. The next day there’s a scathing article about Tim’s manners in the Gazette. 

Tam slams his office’s doors wide open. 

“Really Tim? Golden Boy Actually Punk Child?” Her brown eyes are blazing with such an anger that Tim resists the urge to sink further into his seat. The last time she looked like this was the cheating scandal (also fake, but since when does anyone care about facts in gossip). 

She waves the newspaper around then snaps it straight and begins reading from it. “Gotham Golden Boy Timothy Drake, a well rounded, business minded example of the finest of today’s youth. Or so you thought. ‘Mr. Drake is nothing more than a discourteous punk.’ States one source close to Drake himself. ‘The only reason he’s gotten this far is because of luck and his last names prestige.’ Another source adds. And I myself, Vicke Vale, am forced to agree despite my first impressions of Mr. Drake. After further contact I am forced to say that Mr. Drake is a spoiled rude child. It’s a wonder Drake Industries has yet to collapse under his control.”

Pru hoots from her adjoing office. “Punk child? Rude? Discourteous? Timmy you’re finally hitting your teenage rebellion! I’m so proud!”

Tam glares out the door. “Don’t encourage him Pru!” She turns back to Tim. “What the hell were you thinking? I hate Vale as much as anyone else, but insulting her head on?! I had to talk down Publicity from storming in here and beating you! Anne had her bat, Tim! Her bat!”

Tim shudders. It’s not even ten yet and already he’s escaped death. 

“Oooohhh shit,” Pru whispers. “You better send Publicity a fruit basket and like fifty boxes of Xanex.”

“I’m sorry Tam. It was stupid. She was asking about my relationship with the Waynes and kept implying things. If I hadn’t said anything odds are there’d be an article out about me being adopted by Bruce or dating him or something.”

Tam. waves her hand silencing him. She sighs. “Damn right it was stupid. Although it was going to happen eventually. What worries me though are sources she cited.”

Tim nods. “It is a cause for concern.”

“Ten bucks says it’s Steve from Accounting!” Pru shouts from her desk. 

Tam’s eyes glaze considering this. “That, is a possibilty.”

“I fucking hate Steve. But shit if he isn’t good at what he does.”

Tim nods again. Everyone hates Steve, even Steve himself. 

***

Anne corners Tim when he’s in the cafeteria getting lunch. 

“You’re real fuckin’ lucky Tam’s good at her job.” Anne’s Crime Alley accent comes out even stronger when she’s angry. 

Tim agrees with Anne. He truly is #Blessed. 

“So listen here. We’re gonna roll with this ‘lil shit angle, but instead of you being a spoiled brat we’re gonna make you brutally honest. Everyone hates Vale, she’s a bitch. You said so, just in nicer words. I can work with this, so don’t fuck it up.”

Normally the CEO of a company as powerful as Drake Inc isn’t cussed at by their employees or talked to in such a crass honest manner. But this Gotham, nothings normal. And most of Tim’s high up employees and heads of branches have been with him since he first started plotting his take over. They deserve the right to be honest with Tim. They’re just as tired and dead as he is. 

Maybe more considering they have to deal with Tim himself and his own special brand of fuckery. 

“I will not fuck this up.”

Anne smooshes Tim’s cheeks and stares into his eyes looking deadly serious. 

“Promise, promise that you will not fuck this up. Promise on my bat.” “I promise on your bat, may she break many bones, that I will not fuck this up.”

Anne releases him and nods before walking away. 

***

The smear campaign Anne creates and puts into action is a god damn piece of art. And the brilliant thing is no one realizes it is a smear campaign, and no one ever thinks it may be the result of Drake Industries creative Publicity department. 

Tim Drake has been restored as Gotham’s Golden Boy by the end of the work week. Vale’s faced extreme backlash. It should keep her quiet for a time, but not for long. She’ll start again eventually. She always does. 

Tim sends Publicty champagne and seven fruit baskets. One for each mental breakdown. 

He’s finishing the last of Friday’s work when he gets a text from Steph. 

_Are you coming over for movie night tonight? u kno it. wldnt miss alfreds coco 4 the wrld._

_I’ll let them know. See you tonight._

_:-)_

Alfred opens the door for Tim when he arrives at the manor. His shoulder feels oddly light without the bag with his uniform. He won’t be needing it tonight. None of them do. 

Cass talked Harper and some of the others into covering their patrols. She even managed to talk Bruce into staying for the entire night despite his best efforts to refuse. It’s hard if not impossible to say no to Cass. 

Tim sits in the only unoccupied recliner. Steph and Cass are curled up together on the couch, Damian sits on the other end of it. Bruce is in the other recliner and Dick is lounging on the love seat. 

Alfred leaves to finish preparing snacks. Jason runs in just after he’s left. 

“Shit am I late?” He looks over his shoulder, afraid of being scolded for cursing. Once he sees the coast is clear he turns to the room again then frowns at the seating arrangement. ‘

Dick pats the seat next to him. Everyone is well aware of Dick’s tendancy to cuddle and cry during movies. 

Jason scans the room as if a chair is going to suddenly appear. When it doesn’t he sighs resigned and walks over to join Dick on the love seat.

“We’re watching a comedy tonight.” He huffs. 

“We’re actually watching Marley and Me.” Steph chirps. 

“Son of a bi-”

“Master Jason!” Alfred arrives with coco and popcorn balanced on a silver tray. “You’ll be pleased to know that tonight’s movie is one of the action variety that Master Damian is so fond of.”

Finally Jason actually sits on the loveseat. Up to this point he’s been hovering uncertain. Dick immediately latches onto Jason which leads to wrestling. 

Alfred hands out snacks while they situate themselves. Once they agreed on a compromise of Dick’s feet on Jason’s lap, they get drinks and food too. 

“If there is no patrol for me to wait up for tonight, I do believe I will take my leave for the night. I trust you can look after yourselves.”

A chorus of goodnights follow Alfred down the hall. The movie starts soon after. 

Halfway through Tim has to pee. 

When he returns from the bathroom Bruce is gone and Jason is in his seat looking smug. 

“Jason move.”

“Nuh-uh. Take B’s seat or sit with Dick.”

“I’m not sitting next to Dick,” he ignores his awh. “And I am not stealing Batman’s seat.”

Jason finally looks away from the screen and at Tim. He smirks. “Well then why don’t you sit on my lap? ‘Cause I’m not leaving.”

No one actually expects Tim’s going to sit on Jason’s lap, so when he does it’s a shock for everyone, Tim included. 

Jason freezes at the weight on his lap. Not to be beat at his own game he quickly relaxes and smiles. 

Tim adjusts himself so that his legs are thrown across Jason’s lap and one arm is wrapped around the back of Jason’s neck to support himself. 

“Can you see alright Jay?”

“Perfectly.” Jason wraps his arms around Tim’s waist and pulls him closer. 

The others stare in shock. 

Neither Jason nor Tim act as if this is anything other than average. 

When Bruce returns the entire room is acting as if this is entirely normal. 

He pauses in the doorway, looks at the scene in front of him, then turns around and walks away. 

“Night Bruce!” Dick calls after him. 

When the movie ends Cass puts in another one. Fifteen minutes into Jason starts tracing cirlces and patterns into Tim’s back. 

Tim looks at Jason expecting to see something in his face indicating he’s doing this to be an ass. When nothing shows Tim relaxes having concluded that Jason is doing this unconsciously. 

He sighs content. 

Halfway through the third movie Tim falls asleep. Steph pokes Dick and moves her head to point at Tim and Jason, who are most definitely cuddling. 

Dick grins and pulls out his phone snapping pictures quickly. The flash wakes Tim up. 

“Wha?” His hair is a mess. He blinks bleary eyes looking for the source of his sudden awakening. 

Dick croons. “Oh aren’t you two just adorable!”

Jason glares at him. Dick tenses to run, but surpisingly Jason doesn’t jump out of his seat to attack him. He doesn’t want to disturb Tim who is still curled in his lap mostly asleep. 

“Tim you must have a thing for us Waynes. Can’t blame you, we are an attractive bunch.” Steph preens. 

Tim squints at her for a second before burying his head back into Jason’s neck. “You’re not wrong.” He mumbles lips brushing against Jason’s exposed neck and collarbone. Then he promptly falls back asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said that it might take a bit to get this up, but I am trash and I figured I should probably post something while I have the chance before I visit friends. Thanks for reading, if you liked it please comment and let me know!


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